verb
settle
To come to rest in a lasting place.
Dust settles on the shelves when the room stays unused.
Etymology
The older verb means to seat or establish. Settling brings movement to an end in a place where someone or something remains.
More examples
- The sand slowly settles to the bottom of the jar.
- After years of moving, they settle in a small town.
- The house has settled slightly into the soft ground.
Forms
settle · settles · settled · settling
settler noun — Someone who establishes a home somewhere new.
settlement noun — A community established in a new location.