ticking

[ tik-ing ]

noun

1. a strong cotton fabric, usually twilled, used especially in making cloth ticks. tick.
2. a similar cloth in satin weave or Jacquard, used especially for mattress covers.

ticking

/ ˈtɪkɪŋ /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ticking¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ticking¹

C17: from tick ³

Example Sentences

If dark matter were to interact with a nuclear clock, the interaction could tweak the clock’s ticking.

From Science News For Students

That ticking bomb got louder, and my sense of time felt both finite and endless.

From Washington Post

Global warming, and the ticking clock to combat it, has also led to a new generation of leaders such as 18-year-old Greta Thunberg.

From Ozy

Despite the cookie deprecation countdown clock ticking, however, at this stage many publishers are hesitant to dive into identifiers.

From Digiday

By listening more closely to the ticking of our internal clocks, researchers expect to uncover novel ways to help everybody get more out of their sleeping and waking lives.

From Time

So that was just a ticking time bomb until the Germans had to do something.

From The Daily Beast

He becomes increasingly paranoid by the societal fixtures around him—a ticking clock, a ringing phone.

From The Daily Beast

He set about ticking the boxes required of any self-respecting plutocrat enthusiastically.

From The Daily Beast

A case could be made that Bynes was, in effect, a ticking time bomb.

From The Daily Beast

But in the background, a separate time-bomb is ticking for Israel.

From The Daily Beast

The school buzz died away, and you could hear the ticking of my little clock.

From Project Gutenberg

A silence fell between the two men, broken only by the low ticking of the little Sheraton clock upon the mantelshelf.

From Project Gutenberg

There was a silence, only broken by the monotonous ticking of the carved Swiss clock and the deep sobs of the kneeling girl.

From Project Gutenberg

Down the block, a taxi that had been parked with meter ticking across from Engel's apartment-hotel drew away slowly.

From Project Gutenberg

The ticking in this case should be boiled in a wash-boiler, and the filling is to be rinsed before drying.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• breathing
• contemporary