landing

[ lan-ding ]

/ ˈlæn dɪŋ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR landing ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the act of a person or thing that lands: The pilot brought his plane in for a landing.

a place where persons or goods are landed, as from a ship: The boat moored at the landing.

Architecture.

a platform between flights of stairs.
the floor at the head or foot of a flight of stairs.

Shipbuilding.

the overlap of two plates or planks, as in a clinker-built shell.
the distance between the center of a rivet hole and the edge of the plate or shape into which it is cut.

Nearby words

landgrab, landgrave, landgraviate, landgravine, landholder, landing, landing beacon, landing beam, landing card, landing clerk, landing craft

Origin of landing

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at land, -ing¹

Related forms

post·land·ing, adjective

Definition for landing (2 of 2)

land

[ land ]

/ lænd /

noun

any part of the earth's surface not covered by a body of water; the part of the earth's surface occupied by continents and islands: Land was sighted from the crow's nest.

an area of ground with reference to its nature or composition: arable land.

an area of ground with specific boundaries: to buy land on which to build a house.

rural or farming areas, as contrasted with urban areas: They left the land for the city.

Law.

any part of the earth's surface that can be owned as property, and everything annexed to it, whether by nature or by the human hand.
any legal interest held in land.

Economics. natural resources as a factor of production.

a part of the surface of the earth marked off by natural or political boundaries or the like; a region or country: They came from many lands.

the people of a region or country

Audio. the flat surface between the grooves of a phonograph record.

a realm or domain: the land of the living.

a surface between furrows, as on a millstone or on the interior of a rifle barrel.

Scot. a tenement house.

verb (used with object)

to bring to or set on land: to land passengers or goods from a ship; to land an airplane.

to bring into or cause to arrive in a particular place, position, or condition: His behavior will land him in jail.

Informal. to catch or capture; gain; win: to land a job.

Angling. to bring (a fish) to land, or into a boat, etc., as with a hook or a net.

verb (used without object)

to come to land or shore: The boat lands at Cherbourg.

to go or come ashore from a ship or boat.

to alight upon a surface, as the ground, a body of water, or the like: to land on both feet.

to hit or strike the ground, as from a height: The ball landed at the far side of the court.

to strike and come to rest on a surface or in something: The golf ball landed in the lake.

to come to rest or arrive in a particular place, position, or condition (sometimes followed by up): to land in trouble; to land up 40 miles from home.

Verb Phrases

land on, Informal. to reprimand; criticize: His mother landed on him for coming home so late.

Origin of land

before 900; Middle English (noun and v.), Old English (noun); cognate with Dutch, German, Old Norse, Gothic land; akin to Irish lann, Welsh llan church (orig. enclosure), Breton lann heath. See lawn¹

Related forms

land·like, adjectivere·land, verbun·der·land, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for landing

The Lion Air captain had left his rookie copilot to make the landing until he realized he was in trouble.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501|Clive Irving|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
We got to the landing and ran through the open door bin Laden entered.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
German artillery chased the landing craft where they milled off shore.
Blood in the Sand: When James Jones Wrote a Grunt’s View of D-Day|James Jones|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Landing on any other world is hard, but Comet 67P is especially challenging, even apart from the low gravity.
Earthlings, We Landed on a Comet|Matthew R. Francis|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Earthlings, we can celebrate the accomplishment of landing a probe on a new world.
Earthlings, We Landed on a Comet|Matthew R. Francis|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Whereupon she made a few quick revolutions, landing up against the granite base of the obelisk.
The Poor Little Rich Girl|Eleanor Gates
He rushed to the window; it was too high to jump from, and already George was on the landing.
Love and the Ironmonger|F. J. (Frederick John) Randall
I think she must spend her life on the landing, listening for arrivals and departures.'
Phantom Fortune, A Novel|M. E. Braddon
But for the accident to the motor they would not have dreamed of making a landing short of the aviation field at Bar-le-Duc.
Air Service Boys Over The Enemy's Lines|Charles Amory Beach
And now more people were coming up the stairs, a drawling, familiar voice—Alma Drew on the landing below.
The Tin Soldier|Temple Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for landing (1 of 4)

landing

/ (ˈlændɪŋ) /

noun

the act of coming to land, esp after a flight or sea voyage
(as modifier)landing place

a place of disembarkation

the floor area at the top of a flight of stairs or between two flights of stairs

British Dictionary definitions for landing (2 of 4)

land

/ (lænd) /

noun

the solid part of the surface of the earth as distinct from seas, lakes, etcRelated adjective: terrestrial

ground, esp with reference to its use, quality, etc
(in combination)land-grabber

rural or agricultural areas as contrasted with urban ones

farming as an occupation or way of life

law

any tract of ground capable of being owned as property, together with any buildings on it, extending above and below the surface
any hereditament, tenement, or other interest; realty

a country, region, or area
the people of a country, etc

a realm, sphere, or domain

economics the factor of production consisting of all natural resources

the unindented part of a grooved surface, esp one of the ridges inside a rifle bore

how the land lies the prevailing conditions or state of affairs

verb

to transfer (something) or go from a ship or boat to the shoreland the cargo

(intr) to come to or touch shore

to come down or bring (something) down to earth after a flight or jump

to come or bring to some point, condition, or state

(tr) angling to retrieve (a hooked fish) from the water

(tr) informal to win or obtainto land a job

(tr) informal to deliver (a blow)

Derived Forms

landless, adjectivelandlessness, noun

Word Origin for land

Old English; compare Old Norse, Gothic land, Old High German lant

British Dictionary definitions for landing (3 of 4)

Land

/ (lænd) /

noun

Edwin Herbert. 1909–91, US inventor of the Polaroid Land camera

British Dictionary definitions for landing (4 of 4)

Land

/ German (lant) /

noun plural Länder (ˈlɛndər)

any of the federal states of Germany
any of the provinces of Austria

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with landing

land

In addition to the idioms beginning with land

land in
land on
land up

also see:

cloud-cuckoo land
fall (land) on one's feet
fat of the land
la-la land
lay of the land
never-never land