Showing results for "ticking"

• present participle of tick.

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

---

Etymology

Origin of ticking

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ticking

Gallup put him at 37% in July, ticking up to 40% in August.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

"He is the one that gets Manchester United ticking," former United and England wide man Ashley Young told Sky Sports.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

Factory output and exports have also been ticking up in recent months despite the fallout from the conflict.

From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026

At Walmart’s U.S. locations, traffic was up 1.5%, but per-trip spending trailed that figure, ticking 1.1% higher.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

I pushed back my sweater sleeve, glad to have a ticking second hand I could rely on.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Related Words

• breathing
• contemporary