ticking

1 of 3

noun (1)

tick·​ing ˈti-kiŋ 

: a strong linen or cotton fabric used in upholstering and as a covering for a mattress or pillow

ticking

2 of 3

noun (2)

: ticked marking on a bird or mammal or on individual hairs

ticking

3 of 3

present participle of tick entry 2

Examples of ticking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

To build the tension of the clock ticking, Batiste thought hard about what instruments would push that. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 14 Oct. 2024

For nearly an hour, there were no sounds—no laughs, no cricket chirps, no ticking of a clock. —Jack Handey, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024

The first trial is where the show really comes to its own, with a literal ticking clock threatening their lives, the coven tasked with hunting down potion ingredients while being plagued by hallucinations that reveal their past traumas. —Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024

The era wasn’t changing any more than the brutish ticking of every clock allows. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

tick entry 4

Noun (2)

tick entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1649, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1885, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ticking

noun

tick·​ing

ˈtik-iŋ

: a strong fabric used especially as a covering for mattresses and pillows