Join free

reading

English · Français · Deutsch · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

reading¹

  • /ˈɹiːdɪŋ/
  • [ˈɹiːɾɪŋ]
  • /ˈɹidiŋ/
  • [ˈɹiɾiŋ]

Rhymes with -iːdɪŋ

Where it comes from

From Middle English reding, redyng, redand, from Old English rǣdende, present participle of rǣdan (“to read”), equivalent to read + -ing.

verb

  1. gerund, participle, present present participle and gerund of read

reading²

  • /ˈɹiːdɪŋ/
  • [ˈɹiːɾɪŋ]
  • /ˈɹidiŋ/
  • [ˈɹiɾiŋ]

Rhymes with -iːdɪŋ

Where it comes from

From Middle English reding, redynge, redunge, from Old English rǣding (“reading”), equivalent to read + -ing.

noun readings

  1. countable, uncountable The process of interpreting written language. The student is behind in his reading by several chapters.
  2. countable, uncountable The process of interpreting a symbol, a sign or a measuring device.
  3. broadly, countable, uncountable An interpretation.
  4. countable, uncountable A value indicated by a measuring device. He glanced across and took note of the speedometer reading.
  5. countable, uncountable An event at which written material is read aloud. I attended a poetry reading.
  6. countable, uncountable The wording of a version of a text in a particular place or context.
  7. countable, uncountable A pronunciation associated with a particular character or word; particularly in East Asian scripts. Some Chinese characters have numerous readings.
  8. countable, uncountable Something to read; reading material. This is emphatically true; and hence the Portuguese Epic has been universally recognised as wholesome and tonic reading, in fact, the very reverse of a certain “poisonous honey”; and the general directness of the Camonian style, and the straightforwardness with which the Great Portuguese calls a spa
  9. countable, uncountable The extent of what one has read. He's a man of good reading.
  10. countable, uncountable One of several stages a bill passes through before becoming law.
  11. countable, uncountable A piece of literature or passage of scripture read aloud to an audience. After the homily there will be two readings from the Bible.
  12. uncountable The content of a reading list.
  13. uncountable The act or process of imagining sequences of potential moves and responses without actually placing stones.

Reading³

  • /ˈɹɛdɪŋ/

Sounds like redding · Rhymes with -ɛdɪŋ

Where it comes from

From Old English Rēadingas, the name of a tribe or clan of early Anglo-Saxon England whose capital was at Reading. Not related to reading.

proper noun

  1. A surname.
  2. A large town in Berkshire, England. A unitary authority and borough (Reading Borough Council) in Berkshire.
  3. A minor city in Lyon County, Kansas.
  4. A town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Newton joins Brookline and a dozen other towns that have adopted similar bans, including Belchertown, Chelsea, Concord, Malden, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Melrose, Needham, Pelham, Reading, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winchester, according to the state Department of Public Health.
  5. A city and township in Hillsdale County, Michigan.
  6. An unincorporated community in Nobles County, Minnesota.
  7. A ghost town in Pike County, Missouri.
  8. A town in Schuyler County, New York.
  9. A city in Hamilton County, Ohio.
  10. An unincorporated community in Columbiana County, Ohio.
  11. A city, the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, named after Reading in Berkshire, England. His district — which covers all but seven eastern Lancaster County municipalities along with Reading in Berks County and parts of western Chester County — was reconfigured to to ^([sic]) drop Berks and Chester while expanding to all of Lancaster County and adding southern York County.
  12. A town in Windsor County, Vermont.
  13. A number of other townships, listed under Reading Township.
  14. A small town in Saint James parish, Jamaica.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: recital, recitation, interpretation, version, meter reading, addressing, reader, peer-reviewed, study, interpreting, literacy, readership, studying, perusal, wording, documentary

Translations

Every language

noun process of interpreting written language

Españollectura, leída
한국어독서 dokseo, 읽기 ilgi
日本語読書 dokusho, 読むこと yomu koto, リーディング rīdingu
中文讀書 /读书 dúshū, 閱讀 /阅读 yuèdú
हिन्दीपढ़ना paṛhnā
Portuguêsleitura
Françaislecture
DeutschLesen
Italianolettura
Românălectură, citire
Русскийчте́ние čténije
Tiếng Việtsự đọc
العربيةقِرَاءَة qirāʔa, مُطَالَعَة muṭālaʕa
עבריתקְרִיאָה k'ri'á

noun process of interpreting a symbol

Portuguêsleitura
Italianointerpretare, interpretazione
Русскийчте́ние čténije

noun interpretation

Русскийтолкова́ние tolkovánije
العربيةقِرَاءَة qirāʔa

noun value indicated by a measuring device

中文读数 dúshù
Italianolettura
Русскийпоказа́ние pokazánije

noun event at which material is read aloud

DeutschRezitation, Lesung, Gedichtlesung
Italianolettura, interpretazione
Русскийчте́ние čténije, чти́во čtívo

noun pronunciation associated with a particular character or word

中文讀音 /读音 dúyīn

noun one of several stages a bill passes through

DeutschLesung, Beratung

noun act or process of imagining sequences of moves

日本語読み yomi

name the town

中文雷丁 Léidīng
FrançaisReading
DeutschReading
ΕλληνικάΡέντινγκ Réntingk

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"reading." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/reading. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

reading. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/reading

Chicago

"reading." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/reading.

BibTeX
@misc{reading_2026,
  title = {reading},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/reading},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}