riding

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹaɪdɪŋ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪdɪŋ
• Hyphenation: rid‧ing

From Middle English rydyng; equivalent to ride +‎ -ing.

riding

1. present participle and gerund of ride

riding (countable and uncountable, plural ridings)

1. A path cut through woodland.
2. The act of one who rides; a mounted excursion.
   • 1853, Charlotte Mary Yonge, The Heir of Redclyffe, volume 1, page 95:

     I like nothing better than to hear of your ridings, and shootings, and boatings.

3. The behaviour in the motion of a vehicle, such as oscillation.
   • 1946 July and August, Cecil J. Allen, “British Locomotive Practice and Performance”, in Railway Magazine, page 213:

     The admirable smoothness of the riding also reflected the greatest credit on those who, despite the difficulties caused by the shortage of men and materials, have succeeded in maintaining the track in such first-class order.

   • 1959 March, “The 2,500 h.p. electric locomotives for the Kent Coast electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 125:

     A maximum of 80 m.p.h. was quickly reached on the 1 in 264 down through Three Bridges and at this pace the riding was exemplary.

4. (obsolete) A festival procession.

From trithing (initial /t/ absorbed into preceding north, south, east, west, inner ⟨th⟩ already sometimes /d/ in Middle English), from Middle English trithing, tridinge, from Old English *þriðing, from Old Norse þriðjungr (“third part”), from Proto-Germanic *þridjô (“third”) (English third). Equivalent to third +‎ -ing; compare with farthing (“fourth part”). Cognate with English trithing.

The folk etymology that connects the term to the area a horse-rider could cover in a single day is incorrect, but may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation.

riding (plural ridings)

1. (historical) Any of the three administrative divisions of Yorkshire and some other northern counties of England.
2. (Canada) Electoral district or constituency.

• East Riding, East Riding of Yorkshire
• North Riding, North Riding of Yorkshire
• (Canada) riding association
• West Riding, West Riding of Yorkshire

• wapentake

• Ingrid, grid-in

riding

1. Alternative form of rydyng

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)