ticket

I. tick‧et¹ S1 W2 /ˈtɪkət, ˈtɪkɪt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Early French etiquet 'notice attached to something', from Old French estiquier 'to attach', from Middle Dutch steken 'to stick']
1. CINEMA/BUS/TRAIN ETC a printed piece of paper which shows that you have paid to enter a cinema, travel on a bus, plane etc
ticket for
How much are tickets for the concert?
ticket to
I’d like two tickets to Berlin.
a ticket to do something
a ticket to watch the US Open ⇨ ↑season ticket
2. FOR A PRIZE a printed piece of paper with a number on it that you buy because you will get a prize if that number is chosen
raffle/lottery ticket
3. DRIVING OFFENCE a printed note ordering you to pay money because you have done something illegal while driving or parking your car
parking/speeding ticket
4. IN SHOPS a piece of paper fastened to something in a shop that shows its price, size etc SYN tag American English:
How much does it say on the price ticket?
5. ELECTION [usually singular] especially American English a list of the people supported by a particular political party in an election:
He ran for governor on the Republican ticket.
6. ticket to success/fame/stardom etc especially American English a way of becoming successful, famous etc:
Michael thought an MBA would be a ticket to success.
7. be (just) the ticket old-fashioned to be exactly what is needed
⇨ ↑dream ticket, ↑meal ticket
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + ticket
▪ a train/bus/coach ticket I’ve lost my train ticket.
▪ an airline/plane/air ticket You can pick up your airline tickets at the check-in desk.
▪ a theatre/concert ticket The special rate includes theatre tickets and transport from the hotel to the theatre.
▪ a one-way ticket (also a single ticket British English) (=a ticket to a place but not back again) I bought a one-way ticket to London.
▪ a return ticket British English, a round-trip ticket American English (=a ticket to a place and back) How much is a round trip ticket to Boston?
▪ a season ticket (=one that allows you to make a journey or go to a sports stadium, theatre etc as often as you like during a fixed time period) He has a season ticket for Manchester United.
▪ a valid ticket (=one that is legally or officially acceptable) You cannot travel without a valid ticket.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ticket

ticket [ticket tickets ticketed ticketing] noun, verb [ˈtɪkɪt] [ˈtɪkɪt]

noun

1. ~ (for/to sth) a printed piece of paper that gives you the right to travel on a particular bus, train, etc. or to go into a theatre, etc
• a bus/theatre/plane, etc. ticket
• free tickets to the show
• Tickets are available from the Arts Centre at £5.00.
• a ticket office/machine/collector
• (figurative) She hoped that getting this job would finally be her ticket to success.

see also meal ticket, return ticket, season ticket

2. a printed piece of paper with a number or numbers on it, that you buy in order to have the chance of winning a prize if the number or numbers are later chosen
• a lottery/raffle ticket

• There are three winning tickets.

3. a label that is attached to sth in a shop/store giving details of its price, size, etc.

4. an official notice that orders you to pay a fine because you have done sth illegal while driving or parking your car
Syn: fine

• a parking/speeding ticket

5. usually singular (especially NAmE) a list of candidates that are supported by a particular political party in an election
• She ran for office on the Democratic ticket.
see also dream ticket
more at split the ticket at split _v.
Word Origin:
early 16th cent. (in the general senses ‘short written note’ and ‘a licence or permit’): shortening of obsolete French étiquet, from Old French estiquet(te), from estiquier ‘to fix’, from Middle Dutch steken. Compare with etiquette.
Example Bank:
• Concessionary tickets are available at half the standard price.
• He ran on the Republican ticket.
• He showed the guard his ticket.
• I bought a ticket for the concert.
• I bought a whole book of raffle tickets and I still didn't win anything.
• I generally vote a split ticket.
• I had complimentary tickets for the show.
• I have a free ticket to the game.
• I'm voting the straight Democratic ticket.
• I've got a free ticket to the match.
• I've got complimentary tickets for the theatre.
• Phone the ticket line on this number.
• The police officer gave us a ticket for going through a red light.
• There are three candidates on the national ticket.
• There had been talk of Kennedy dropping LBJ from the ticket in '64.
• Use the coupon below to reserve advance tickets for the exhibition.
• You must hold a valid ticket before boarding the train.
• You must hold a valid ticket for your entire journey before boarding the train.
• a first-class rail ticket
• a plane ticket to New York
• a ticket for Saturday
• admission by ticket only
• an annual season ticket

Idioms: just the ticket ▪ that's the ticket ▪ tickets

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ticket / ˈtɪk.ɪt / noun [ C ] (PROOF OF PAYMENT)

ticket

A1 a small piece of paper or card given to someone, usually to show that they have paid for an event, journey, or activity:

a concert ticket

a train/bus/plane ticket

a lottery/raffle ticket

a ticket office

a ticket collector

Word partners for ticket

book / buy / get / purchase a ticket • a one-way / return / single ticket • a valid ticket • an adult / family / student ticket • a ticket for / to sth • a ticket collector / machine / office

ticket / ˈtɪk.ɪt / noun [ C ] (PRICE CARD)

a piece of card or paper that is put on an object to show its size or price:

a price ticket

a note telling you that you must pay some money as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law:

a parking ticket

Word partners for ticket

book / buy / get / purchase a ticket • a one-way / return / single ticket • a valid ticket • an adult / family / student ticket • a ticket for / to sth • a ticket collector / machine / office

ticket / ˈtɪk.ɪt / noun [ C ] (POLITICS)

mainly US the range of ideas and plans that someone supports when they are in an election:

She's standing on an education ticket.

US the group of people representing a particular political party in an election:

the Republican/Democratic ticket

Word partners for ticket

book / buy / get / purchase a ticket • a one-way / return / single ticket • a valid ticket • an adult / family / student ticket • a ticket for / to sth • a ticket collector / machine / office

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

ticket

[tɪ̱kɪt]

tickets
1) N-COUNT: also by N A ticket is a small, official piece of paper or card which shows that you have paid to enter a place such as a theatre or a sports ground, or shows that you have paid for a journey.
  I queued for two hours to get a ticket to see the football game...
  I love opera and last year I got tickets for Covent Garden...
  Entrance is free, but by ticket only...
  He became a ticket collector at Waterloo Station.
2) N-COUNT A ticket is an official piece of paper which orders you to pay a fine or to appear in court because you have committed a driving or parking offence.
  I want to know at what point I break the speed limit and get a ticket.
3) N-COUNT: usu n N A ticket for a game of chance such as a raffle or a lottery is a piece of paper with a number on it. If the number on your ticket matches the number chosen, you win a prize.
  She bought a lottery ticket and won more than $33 million.
4) N-SING: usu with supp The particular ticket on which a person fights an election is the party they represent or the policies they support. [BRIT]
  He first ran for president on a far-left ticket...
  She would want to fight the election on a ticket of parliamentary democracy...
  It's a ticket that was designed to appeal to suburban and small town voters.
  Syn:
  platform
5) N-COUNT: usu ADJ n A ticket is the list of candidates who are representing a particular political party or group in an election. [AM]
  He plans to remain on the Republican ticket for the November election.
6) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR If you say that something is just the ticket, you mean that it is exactly what is needed. [INFORMAL]
  Young kids need all the energy and protein they can get and whole milk is just the ticket.
7) → See also ticketing, big-ticket, dream ticket, meal ticket, parking ticket, season ticket

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹tick·et /ˈtɪkət/ noun, pl -ets
1 [count] : a piece of paper that allows you to see a show, participate in an event, travel on a vehicle, etc.
• May I see your tickets, please? = Tickets, please.
• We bought tickets for/to the opera.
• a movie/concert ticket
• a bus/train ticket
• She bought a one-way ticket to New York. [=a ticket that allows her to travel to New York]
• (US) a round-trip ticket = (Brit) a return ticket [=a ticket that allows you to travel to one place and then return back to the place you left]
- see also season ticket
2 [count] : a card or piece of paper that shows that you are participating in a contest, raffle, etc.
• a winning lottery ticket
- see also scratch ticket
3 [count] : a piece of paper that officially tells you that you have driven or parked your car improperly and that you will have to pay a fine
• I got a ticket for speeding.
- see also parking ticket, speeding ticket
4 [count] Brit : a piece of paper that is attached to an item in a store and that gives information about its price, size, etc.
• a price ticket [=tag]
5 [singular] chiefly US : a list of the candidates supported by a political party in an election
• The senator heads her party's ticket. [=she is the leader of her party in the election]
• the Republican/Democratic ticket
- see also split ticket split the ticket at ¹split
6 [singular] : something that makes it possible to get or achieve something that you want
• She believed that education was the/her ticket to a good job.
• He expected the novel to be his ticket to fame and fortune.
• This job could be their ticket out of poverty.
- see also meal ticket
7 the ticket informal + somewhat old-fashioned : the correct or most desirable thing : the thing that is needed or wanted
• Compromise, now that's the ticket. [=that's what we need]
- often used in the phrase just the ticket
• For a romantic dinner, candles are just the ticket.
write your own ticket
- see write