settling
Noun 1. A gradual sinking to a lower level: The process of slowly descending, subsiding, or coming to rest at a lower position or state. This often refers to physical particles in a liquid or to structures over time. Example: The settling of the foundation caused cracks in the walls. 2. The act of resolving or concluding something: The process of bringing a matter to an end or reaching an agreement. (Note: This meaning is closely related to the verb 'settle' and refers to the process of concluding.) Example: The settling of the dispute took several months of negotiation.
- Referring to physical descent:
- After the storm, the settling of the sediment made the pond water clear.
- Engineers monitor the settling of the new embankment.
- Referring to resolution:
- The settling of his estate was handled by a lawyer.
- We are close to the settling of all accounts.
- "In settling": Used to describe the state or process of something descending or being resolved.
- The particles in suspension are in settling.
- "The settling of": A common phrase introducing the object that is descending or being resolved.
- The treaty ensured the peaceful settling of the border conflict.
- Settle (verb): To sink to a lower level; to resolve or agree upon.
- Settled (adjective): Fixed, established, or calm.
- Settlement (noun): An official agreement or a community.
- Settler (noun): A person who settles in a new region.
- Subsidence (for physical sinking)
- Sedimentation (for particles in a liquid)
- Resolution (for concluding a matter)
- Conclusion
- Settling time: (Technical) The time required for a system to stabilize after a change.
- Settling tank: A tank where solids are allowed to sink to the bottom.
The primary definition provided, "a gradual sinking to a lower level," is the core meaning of the noun settling. The secondary meaning related to resolution is a direct nominalization of the verb 'to settle' (as in 'to settle an argument'). In many contexts, the word implies a process that leads to a state of stability or finality.
- a gradual sinking to a lower level