holding pattern Hear it!

holding pattern definition

holding pattern

  1. the course an airplane takes while circling an airport waiting for clearance to land
  2. any period or state in which progress is interrupted or delayed

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.