Fixing

How to spell fixing

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce fixing

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does fixing mean?

1. verbRepairing, fastening, or arranging something so that it is sound or settled.
2. nounA screw, bracket, or other device used to attach something firmly in place.

Fixing in a sentence

• verb

  He spent the morning fixing the leaky tap in the bathroom.

• noun

  The shelf came loose because one fixing had worked its way out of the wall.

• verb

  The engineer is fixing the broken conveyor belt before the shift starts.

• noun

  Check that every fixing is tight before you load the cabinet.

Where does fixing come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is the -ing form of the verb 'fix', which English took from the Latin fixus, the past participle of figere, meaning 'to fasten, drive in, or set firmly in place'. The word arrived in late Middle English partly through Old French and partly straight from Latin, at first carrying the sense of fastening something solidly so it could not move. From that core idea of making firm grew the everyday meanings: setting a date, repairing what is broken, and arranging something definitely. The same figere root sits inside relatives such as 'affix', 'prefix', and 'transfix', all of which keep the notion of attaching or piercing. Because the base verb ends in a single 'x', no consonant is doubled before -ing, which is the small spelling point worth remembering.

How the word is built

• fix (from Latin fixus: fastened, set firm)
• -ing (present participle / gerund suffix)