homing
homing Lexical Profile
homing Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to an animal's innate ability to return to its territory or place of origin after traveling a great distance.
"Researchers studied the remarkable homing instinct of carrier pigeons across hundreds of miles."
Designed to guide a vehicle, aircraft, or device automatically toward a specific target or signal.
"The rescue team used a specialized homing beacon to locate the stranded hikers in the blizzard."
• noun
The biological ability or process by which an animal navigates back to its home territory or breeding ground from an unfamiliar location.
"Marine biologists are investigating how magnetic fields influence the homing of sea turtles."
The process of guiding an aircraft, vessel, or automated device toward a destination by following a transmitted signal or radiation source.
"Acoustic homing allows underwater autonomous vehicles to dock accurately in dark waters."
Word Nuance & Usage
In the expression 'homing in on' (meaning focusing on or moving toward a target), 'homing' is frequently confused with 'honing' (which means sharpening or refining a skill). While 'honing in on' has become common in informal speech, 'homing in on' remains the preferred standard in formal writing.
• Rhymes for homing
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.