docking
n.the act of a ship or spacecraft joining with a station or another vessel. You use this when talking about travel by sea or in space.
n.the process of a vessel or spacecraft coming alongside or joining with a pier, buoy, or another craft. Often involves mechanical locking or securing procedures.
“The ship completed its docking at the harbor this morning.”
“The space station crew prepared for the docking of the supply capsule by checking the airlock seals.”
“Successful docking in high winds requires precise coordination between the pilot and the tugboat operators to prevent damage to the hull or the pier.”
Often functions as a gerund noun; frequently paired with 'maneuver' or 'station'.
“While they didn’t stop at the moon, the four set the stage for next year’s Artemis III docking rehearsal in orbit around Earth.”
From dock + -ing.
From Middle English dockyng. By surface analysis, dock + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.