a gradual sinking to a lower level
"After the storm, the water in the lake began settling back into its normal level."
The act of one who, or that which, settles; the act of establishing oneself, of colonizing, subsiding, adjusting, etc.
"The settlers spent years settling in the new territory before building their permanent homes."
In plain English: Settling is when you stop moving around and get comfortable by staying in one place for a while.
"The long journey ended with everyone finally settling into comfortable seats on the train."
Usage: The noun settling often causes confusion with the verb form when describing the physical process of particles sinking in a liquid; use it only as an abstract concept for the act itself or specify "the settling" to avoid ambiguity. It is rarely used in casual conversation compared to its more common verbal counterpart, which appears frequently in both formal and informal contexts regarding migration or financial agreements.
present participle of settle
"The dust was settling when I finally turned off the lights."
In plain English: To settle means to stop moving around and become calm or fixed in place.
"The dust began settling on the old floorboards after we closed the windows."