siding
Americannoun
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a short railroad track, opening onto a main track at one or both ends, on which one of two meeting trains is switched until the other has passed.
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any of several varieties of weatherproof facing for frame buildings, composed of pieces attached separately as shingles, plain or shaped boards, or of various units of sheet metal or various types of composition materials.
noun
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a short stretch of railway track connected to a main line, used for storing rolling stock or to enable trains on the same line to pass
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a short railway line giving access to the main line for freight from a factory, mine, quarry, etc
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material attached to the outside of a building to make it weatherproof
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of siding
Explanation
Siding is what a home builder covers the outside walls of a house with. Some houses have old aluminum siding or newer vinyl siding. Older houses that haven't had new siding applied are likely to have some type of wooden siding, like shingles or clapboards, unless they're made out of brick or stone. It's less expensive to maintain a house with plastic, or vinyl, siding because it doesn't have to be painted every few years. A completely different kind of siding is a track that runs beside the main train tracks, used for storing train cars or allowing one train to pass another.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dina Zemke’s decision to replace her house’s high-maintenance board-and-batten wood siding last June led to a surprise.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
The siding is made of wood and not PVC.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
The Syrian authorities said their forces intervened to stop the clashes, but witnesses and monitors accused them of siding with the Bedouin.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
The state, by virtue of the raid, seems to be siding with the California tribes, who have purview over almost all non-pari-mutuel gambling in the state and oppose the machines.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026
A few days after the Bay Meadows Handicap, Seabiscuit’s train clattered to a stop at the Tanforan siding for the long trek east.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
