- present participle of tick.
ticking
Americannoun
-
a strong cotton fabric, usually twilled, used especially in making cloth ticks.
-
a similar cloth in satin weave or Jacquard, used especially for mattress covers.
noun
Etymology
Origin of ticking
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.
With the hours ticking down to the closing ceremony, when Japan will hand over the baton to Doha, top officials were on the defensive.
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
With the clock ticking down, Wade carried Newcastle forward with a trademark burst down the wing, but the home side were eventually guilty of holding on as Leicester gratefully kicked to touch to claim victory.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
The sets have too many doors, the scenes have a delirious number of extras and the actors yell their lines over the distracting clatter of crackling fireplaces, beeping machines and ticking clocks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
“While the constant rotation has kept us from seeing a correlation-one selloff, we continue to think the clock is ticking, and we see one sooner than later,” says Krinsky.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
The clock was ticking and they had no idea how close the two men were to finding the islet.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
