noun
a small, reddish-brown bloodsucking mite that is a common parasite of various animals and sometimes bites humans, transmitting diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia
The adobe tick is a type of insect commonly found in arid regions.
I saw an adobe tick crawling on the wall of my house.
Watch out for those adobe ticks, they can carry diseases.
The adobe tick of bureaucracy is slowing down the progress of the project.