Phrase guide

tickle the ivories

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌtikl̩ ðiː ˈaɪv(ə)ɹiz/
  • General-American: /ˌtik(ə)l ði ˈaɪv(ə)ɹiz/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To play a piano or other keyboard instrument.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, intransitive

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From tickle (“to touch (something) lightly”) + the + ivories (“(informal) keys of a piano or other keyboard instrument”) (from the fact that such keys used to be made from ivory).

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: soitella pianoa — to play a piano or other keyboard instrument