# building

Pronunciation: say "BIL-ding" /ˈbɪl.dɪŋ/

## Noun

1. A closed standing structure with walls and a roof, such as a house or office.
   - Simple: A structure with walls and a roof, such as a house, school, or store.
   - _The old brick building on the corner is being converted into apartments._
   - _Firefighters cleared everyone out of the burning building._
3. The act or process of constructing something, such as a house or other structure.
   - Simple: The work of putting up a house, bridge, or other structure.
   - _The building of the dam required thousands of workers over a decade._
   - _Modern building relies heavily on steel and concrete._

## Verb

2. Present participle and gerund of build. — present participle and gerund of build
   - Simple: Present participle of build. Use this form for an action happening now or as a naming word for the activity.
   - _Crews are building a bridge across the river._
   - _Building a strong foundation takes patience._

## Other meanings

- (noun) In the study of algebraic groups, a geometric structure assembled from flat pieces that captures a group's combinatorial symmetry; also called a Tits building.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3** — Built from 'build' + '-ing', it was spelled byldynge and in related ways in Middle English. The related Middle English 'bold' (edifice, castle, mansion) is worth comparing; it came from Old English 'bold' (building, dwelling, house).
**Meaning 2** — From Middle English beeldynge, equivalent to 'build' + '-ing'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/building (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).