| Learning / English Dictionary |
HOLDING PATTERN
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The flight path (usually circular) maintained by an aircraft that is awaiting permission to land
Classified under:
Nouns denoting spatial position
Hypernyms ("holding pattern" is a kind of...):
air lane; airway; flight path; skyway (a designated route followed by airplanes in flying from one airport to another)
Sense 2
Meaning:
A state of inaction with no progress and no change
Example:
you should go into a holding pattern until he gets over his disappointment
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("holding pattern" is a kind of...):
inaction; inactiveness; inactivity (the state of being inactive)
