English Reference
noun · verb

siding

n. · v.
US /ˈsaɪdɪŋ/ UK /sˈaɪdɪŋ/ sid·ing UK spelling sidings

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate American English

    n.the material used to cover the outside walls of a house to protect it from the weather.

    n.protective material, such as wood, vinyl, or metal, applied to the exterior walls of a frame building.

    Simple

    The storm damaged the vinyl siding on the north side of the house.

    In context

    The homeowners decided to replace the rotting cedar siding with a more durable fibre-cement alternative to reduce long-term maintenance costs.

    Usage

    Uncountable when referring to the material generally; countable when referring to a specific type.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical

    n.a short section of track next to a main railway line used for parking or passing trains.

    n.a short track connected to a main railway line, used for shunting, storing rolling stock, or allowing trains to pass.

    Simple

    The freight train waited on a siding to let the fast passenger train go past.

    In context

    The locomotive was diverted onto a siding to allow the express service to maintain its schedule without interruption.

  3. 03 B2 Upper Intermediate

    v.the act of supporting one person or group in an argument.

    v.the present participle of 'side'; used when choosing to support one party in a dispute.

    Simple

    By siding with his sister, he made the argument even worse.

    In context

    The senator faced significant criticism from his own party for siding with the opposition on the controversial environmental bill.

    Usage

    Usually followed by the preposition 'with'.


Etymology 1

From side + -ing (“material, collection”).

Etymology 2

From side + -ing (“derivative noun, having the quality of”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated