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• riding
  riding

  noun

  the act of a person or thing that rides.
• Riding
  Riding

  noun

  Laura, 1901–91, U.S. poet, novelist, and critic.

riding

¹ American  

[rahy-ding] / ˈraɪ dɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that rides.

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adjective

1. used in traveling or in riding.

   riding clothes.

riding ² American  

[rahy-ding] / ˈraɪ dɪŋ /

noun

1. any of the three administrative divisions into which Yorkshire, England, is divided, namely, North Riding, East Riding, and West Riding.

2. any similar administrative division elsewhere.

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Riding ³ American  

[rahy-ding] / ˈraɪ dɪŋ /

noun

1. Laura, 1901–91, U.S. poet, novelist, and critic.

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riding ¹ British  

/ ˈraɪdɪŋ /

noun

1. 1. the art or practice of horsemanship

   2. ( as modifier )

      a riding school

      riding techniques

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riding ² British  

/ ˈraɪdɪŋ /

noun

1. (capital when part of a name) any of the three former administrative divisions of Yorkshire: North Riding, East Riding and West Riding

2. (in Canada) a parliamentary constituency

3. (in New Zealand) a rural electorate for local government

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Etymology

Origin of riding¹

before 1000; Middle English (noun, adj.); Old English rīdende (adj.). See ride, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Origin of riding²

1250–1300; Middle English triding, Old English *thriding < Old Norse thridjungr third part; t- (of ME), variant of th- (of OE), lost by assimilation to -t in east, west, which commonly preceded

Explanation

Use the word riding for the sport of maneuvering a horse while sitting on its back. So when your friend invites you to go riding, you'd better be prepared to climb up into a saddle. You can also call this sport horseback riding, or if you want to get really fancy, equestrianism. Riding involves, of course, staying perched on the back of a horse while it trots, canters, or gallops along. There are a lot of additional variations on riding, including horse racing, rodeo events, and dressage, which involves dance-like movements that are judged on how athletic and graceful the horse is and how relaxed the rider appears.

Example Sentences

And with so much riding on it, Arsenal supporters will gather to see if they can become champions without playing.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

The Angels have hardly competed since, entering 2026 riding a dismal streak of 10 consecutive losing seasons, the longest active stretch in baseball.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

Instead, assaults often involve two or three soldiers walking across a field or riding motorbikes, sometimes even on horseback or on bicycles.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

The Simi Valley community is mourning the loss of a 13-year-old baseball player who was fatally struck by an Amtrak train while riding an e-bike.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

The afternoon sun sparked off the square specs riding down his nose.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Related Words

• driving
• excursion
• flying
• movement
• navigation
• ride
• sailing
• sightseeing
• tour
• transit
• trek
• trip