weighing

Pluralweighings

1. 1
   verb

   Present participle and gerund of weigh.

   Scientists are weighing the samples to record any change over time.

   Weighing the costs and benefits took the board several hours.

   Note

   One spelling does two grammatical jobs here. As a participle it follows be (scientists are weighing the samples), and as a gerund it names the activity (weighing the costs took hours). It carries every meaning of weigh, from measuring to deliberating, and often pairs with out when goods are measured by weight, as in weighing out flour. The same form also serves as the countable noun, plural weighings.

2. 2
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The act or process of measuring the weight of an object or person.

   The careful weighing of every ingredient ensured a consistent result.

   A second weighing confirmed the package was over the shipping limit.

3. 3
   adjective

   That weighs on or burdens someone.

   The weighing responsibility of caring for her aging parents left her exhausted.

   He carried a weighing dread into every conversation about the layoffs.

   Similarheavy, burdensome, oppressive, onerous

   Oppositelight

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