setting

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• noun The position, direction, or way in which something, such as an automatic control, is set.
• noun The context and environment in which a situation is set; the background.
• noun The time, place, and circumstances in which a narrative, drama, or film takes place.
• noun Music A composition written or arranged to fit a text, such as a poetical work.
• noun A mounting, as for a jewel.
• noun A place setting.
• noun A set of eggs in a hen's nest.

from The Century Dictionary.

• noun The temporary station of a portable sawmill, yarding-engine, or other machine used in logging.
• noun A wash of gum or other suitable material applied to the surface of a pencil or crayon drawing on paper in order to prevent the work of the artist from being rubbed off; a fixative.
• noun The act of one who or that which sets, in any sense.
• noun Specifically
• noun The adjusting of a telescope to look at an object by means of a setting-circle or otherwise; also, the placing of a micrometer-wire so as to bisect an object.
• noun In music, the act, process, or result of fitting or adapting to music, or providing a musical form for: as, a setting of the Psalms.
• noun Theat., the mounting of a play or an opera for the stage; the equipment and arrangement of scenery, costumes, and properties; the miseen scène.
• noun The adjusting of the teeth of a saw for cutting.
• noun The hardening of plaster or cement; also, same as setting-coat.
• noun The hardening process of eggs: a term used by fish-culturists.
• noun The sinking of the sun or moon or of a star below the horizon.
• noun The sport of hunting with a setter-dog. See the quotation under set, intransitive verb, 7.
• noun Something set in or inserted.
• noun That in which something, as a jewel, is set: as, a diamond in a gold setting; by extension, the ornamental surrounding of a jewel, seal, or the like: as, an antique setting; hence, figuratively, that which surrounds anything; environment.
• noun In printing, same as offset, 9.
• noun Same as location, 3.
• Of the sunset; western; occidental.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun The act of one who, or that which, sets
• noun The act of marking the position of game, as a setter does; also, hunting with a setter.
• noun Something set in, or inserted.
• noun That in which something, as a gem, is set.
• noun the time, place, and circumstances in which an event (real or fictional) occurs.
• noun (Arch.) the finishing or last coat of plastering on walls or ceilings.
• noun a setter. See Setter, n., 2.
• noun a pole, often iron-pointed, used for pushing boats along in shallow water.
• noun (Print.) A composing rule.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• verb Present participle of set.
• noun The time, place and circumstance in which something (such as a story or picture) is set; context; scenario.
• noun The act of setting.
• noun A piece of metal in which a precious stone or gem is fixed to form a piece of jewelry.
• noun A level or placement that a knob or control is set to.
• noun The act of marking the position of game, as a setter does.
• noun Hunting with a setter.
• noun Something set in, or inserted.
• adjective that disappears below the horizon

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• noun a mounting consisting of a piece of metal (as in a ring or other jewelry) that holds a gem in place
• noun the physical position of something
• noun a table service for one person
• noun arrangement of scenery and properties to represent the place where a play or movie is enacted
• noun the state of the environment in which a situation exists
• noun the context and environment in which something is set
• noun the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation or event