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View synonyms for holding pattern

holding pattern

noun

  1. a traffic pattern for aircraft at a specified location holding point where they are ordered to remain until permitted to land or proceed.
  2. a state or period in which no progress or change is made or planned.


holding pattern

noun

  1. the oval or circular path of an aircraft flying around an airport awaiting permission to land
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of holding pattern1

First recorded in 1950–55

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