[this sense] A thick, strong cotton cloth, tightly woven, used to make the covers of mattresses and pillows. It has to be tough so that the feathers or stuffing inside cannot poke through, and it is traditionally striped — narrow blue or grey lines on cream — which is why furniture shops now sell 'ticking stripe' curtains and cushions in that pattern even when no mattress is involved.

[this sense]（這裡指的意思是） A thick, strong cotton cloth一種厚實、堅固的棉布，tightly woven織得很密，used to make the covers of mattresses and pillows用來做床墊和枕頭的外層布套。It has to be tough它必須很耐用，so that the feathers or stuffing inside cannot poke through這樣裡面的羽毛或填充物才不會穿出來，and it is traditionally striped而且傳統上是有條紋的——narrow blue or grey lines on cream米色底上有細細的藍色或灰色線條——which is why furniture shops now sell 'ticking stripe' curtains and cushions in that pattern這也是為什麼家飾店現在會賣印著這種「ticking stripe」花紋的窗簾和抱枕，even when no mattress is involved即使根本跟床墊沒關係。

It is uncountable: a metre of ticking, a mattress covered in ticking. This is a specialist word; you will meet it in shops that sell bedding or fabric, in books about houses and interiors, rather than in daily conversation.

It is uncountable這是不可數名詞：a metre of tickinga metre of ticking（一公尺的這種棉布），a mattress covered in tickinga mattress covered in ticking（包著這種布的床墊）。This is a specialist word這是個比較專門的字；you will meet it你會在 in shops that sell bedding or fabric賣寢具或布料的店裡、in books about houses and interiors或講房子跟室內設計的書裡遇到它，rather than in daily conversation而不是在日常對話裡。

Be aware that 'ticking' also exists as the ordinary -ing form of the verb 'tick' (a clock ticking, ticking a box), and that is far more common — but it is a different word from this cloth.

Be aware that要注意，'ticking' also exists as the ordinary -ing form of the verb 'tick''ticking'也是動詞'tick'一般的-ing形式 (a clock ticking, ticking a box)（像a clock ticking時鐘滴答作響、ticking a box打勾），and that is far more common而且那個用法常見多了——but it is a different word from this cloth但那跟這塊布是不同的字。