What is a large tick called? - briefly
«Giant tick» is the common designation for an unusually large adult tick. Taxonomically it remains an adult of its species rather than a distinct category.
What is a large tick called? - in detail
A long marking on a graph axis is identified as a «major tick». It differs from the shorter «minor tick» by length, label visibility, and spacing. Major ticks delineate the primary scale divisions, providing reference points for reading values. Minor ticks fill the intervals between major ones, offering finer resolution without cluttering the axis.
In most plotting libraries, major ticks are configurable separately from minor ticks. Typical parameters include:
- Length: longer than minor ticks, often expressed in points or pixels.
- Width: sometimes thicker to emphasize importance.
- Labeling: numeric or categorical labels attached to major ticks, while minor ticks usually lack labels.
- Frequency: determined by the data range and desired number of divisions; automatic algorithms may choose a “nice” interval (e.g., multiples of 1, 2, 5).
Customization examples:
- In Matplotlib,
ax.tick_params(which='major', length=10, width=2)sets the length and width of major ticks. - In ggplot2,
scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(...), minor_breaks = NULL)defines the positions of major and minor ticks. - In D3.js,
axis.tickSize(10)controls major tick size, whileaxis.tickSizeMinor(5)handles minor ticks.
When designing visualizations, the distinction between major and minor ticks aids readability. Major ticks guide the viewer’s eye to key values, while minor ticks support precise estimation without overwhelming the display. Proper use of both types ensures a balanced representation of data density and scale clarity.