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Showing results for "ticking"
  • present participle of tick.
Synonyms

ticking

American  
[tik-ing] / ˈtɪk ɪŋ /

noun

  1. a strong cotton fabric, usually twilled, used especially in making cloth ticks.

  2. a similar cloth in satin weave or Jacquard, used especially for mattress covers.


ticking British  
/ ˈtɪkɪŋ /

noun

  1. a strong cotton fabric, often striped, used esp for mattress and pillow covers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of ticking

First recorded in 1635–45; tick 3 + -ing 1


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Nelson is lost amid a series of avalanches, and the clock starts ticking.

From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2026

It took just over a minute for Keilee Joseph to get the scoreboard ticking after the restart and the scores kept coming from Sergis, Chapman, Joseph again and Church.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

While Meta didn’t share any information on capital expenditures for 2027, spending is likely to continue ticking upward.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

That year, the country was home to 35.7% of the personal wealth in the world, ticking up from nearly 35% in 2024, UBS found in its analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

He says it into the night air without the ticking clock or the hawk’s eyes.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers

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