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.

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ticking British  

/ ˈtɪkɪŋ /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of ticking

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ticking

If the case drags past September, Paramount may be forced to pay a large ticking fee, enriching hedge funds, not creatives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

"The Morandi Bridge was a ticking time bomb. You could hear the ticking, but you didn't know when it was going to explode," prosecutor Walter Cotugno said during the trial.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

In this picture, particles display both wave like and particle like behavior, and the familiar flow of time must arise from relationships between different parts of the system rather than from an independent ticking clock.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

Act now — the clock on the statute of limitations is already ticking.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

The ticking of the clock seemed to taunt her, as if it was marking out the time she had left.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

Related Words

• breathing
• contemporary