ticking: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral / Semi-Technical
Quick answer
What does “ticking” mean?
A strong, durable, striped fabric used for making mattresses, pillows, and upholstery.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A strong, durable, striped fabric used for making mattresses, pillows, and upholstery.
The act or sound of making a series of light, sharp, rapid sounds, like those of a clock or a bomb.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The textile meaning is identical. The auditory/action meaning is more common in American English in the context of a countdown ('The bomb was ticking'). In British English, 'ticking over' (for an engine) is a common phrase.
Connotations
Textile: Neutral/Technical. Auditory: Often connotes urgency, danger (bomb), patience (clock), or a background process (engine).
Frequency
The textile term is low-frequency in general speech but common in manufacturing/retail contexts. The auditory/action meaning is moderately common.
Grammar
How to Use “ticking” in a Sentence
[Something] is ticking (intransitive)to tick [away/past/over] (intransitive + particle)made of [cotton] ticking (noun modifier)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “ticking” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The car's engine was just ticking over nicely.
- My watch hasn't ticked since I dropped it.
American English
- The time bomb is ticking down in the movie.
- The old grandfather clock ticks loudly in the hall.
adjective
British English
- We need a few metres of that blue ticking material.
- The ticking second hand was the only sound.
American English
- She made cushions from vintage mattress ticking.
- A ticking noise came from the engine compartment.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
(Textiles) 'We source our mattress ticking from a Belgian mill.'
Academic
(Physics/Auditory) 'The experiment measured the perception of a regular ticking stimulus.'
Everyday
(Auditory) 'I can hear the old radiator ticking as it cools down.'
Technical
(Engineering) 'Ensure the engine is just ticking over during the warm-up phase.'
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “ticking”
- Using 'ticking' to mean 'itching' (e.g., 'My skin is ticking' – incorrect).
- Misspelling as 'tickling'.
- Using it as a noun for the action of putting a tick mark (✓).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's also the name of a specific, durable fabric used for mattress and pillow covers, characterized by its stripes.
It's an idiom (more common in British English) meaning an engine is running at a slow, steady speed without the vehicle moving, or more generally, that a system or process is continuing at a minimal, steady level.
Yes, commonly as in 'ticking fabric' or 'ticking sound'. It functions as a noun modifier.
'Ticking' relates to a repeated light sound or a fabric. 'Tickling' is the act of lightly touching someone to cause laughter. They are completely different words with different spellings and meanings.
A strong, durable, striped fabric used for making mattresses, pillows, and upholstery.
Ticking is usually neutral / semi-technical in register.
Ticking: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtɪkɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtɪkɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “the clock is ticking”
- “ticking over”
- “on ticking time”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a TICK: it's a parasite that lives in beds (like mattress TICKing) and makes a clock go 'tick-tock'.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A MOVING OBJECT WITH A SOUND (The ticking clock).
Practice
Quiz
In which context does 'ticking' refer to a type of material?