n. 1 a the act or an instance of reading or perusing (the reading of the will). b matter to be read (have plenty of reading with me). c the specified quality of this (it made exciting reading). 2 (in comb.) used for reading (reading-lamp; reading-room). 3 literary knowledge (a person of wide reading). 4 an entertainment at which a play, poems, etc., are read (poetry reading). 5 a figure etc. shown by a meter or other recording instrument. 6 an interpretation or view taken (what is your reading of the facts?). 7 an interpretation made (of drama, music, etc.). 8 each of the successive occasions on which a bill must be presented to a legislature for acceptance (see also first reading, second reading, third reading). 9 the version of a text, or the particular wording, conjectured or given by an editor etc. reading age reading ability expressed as the age for which the same ability is calculated as average (has a reading age of eight).
[ OE (as READ) ]