Reading refers to the process of interpreting written language. It commonly describes the process of interpreting a symbol, a sign or a measuring device, a value indicated by a measuring device, and an event at which written material is read aloud, which gives the term a broader and more practical sense than a single short definition would suggest. Depending on context, it can also point to an interpretation, something to read; reading material, and the extent of what one has read, so the category can cover literal uses, related ideas, and more figurative extensions of the same core meaning. Taken together, these meanings present Reading as a flexible theme rather than a narrowly technical label, covering the central idea people usually mean when they use the word while still leaving room for closely related senses that appear in real language. Additional shades of meaning include a piece of literature or passage of scripture read aloud to an audience: readings from the Bible, to look at and interpret letters or other information that is written, to speak aloud words or other information that is written. Often construed with a to phrase or an indirect object, to read work(s) written by (a named author), and to interpret, or infer a meaning, significance, thought, intention, etc. from, which reinforce how the category can stretch across adjacent but still recognizable uses of the same term.
