▪ I. going, vbl. n.
(ˈgəʊɪŋ)
[f. go v. + -ing1.]
I. In ordinary substantival use.
1. a. The action of the vb. go, in various senses.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter xvi. 5 Fulmake mi steppes in sties þine, Þat noght be stired gainges mine. c 1440 Gesta Rom. v. 12 (Harl. MS.) Ouer our hedis ys passage and goyng of peple. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccclxxxvi. 657 It is no goynge thyder, without ye wyll lose all. 1605 Shakes. Macb. iii. iv. 119 Stand not vpon the order of your going, But go at once. 1611 Beaum. & Fl. King & No K. v. iv, Prayers were made For her safe going, and deliverie. 1776 Paine Com. Sense (1791) 75 No going to law with nations. 1867 G. Macdonald Poems 120 That moment through the branches overhead, Sounds of a going went. 1889 Spectator 16 Nov., Made happy by six thousand miles of continuous going. |
b. esp. Departure.
† long going: departure on a long journey,
i.e. death.
| c 1340 Cursor M. 3245 (Trin.) Þis mon made him redy soone Faste he hyȝed to his goyng. 1399 Langl. Rich. Redeles iii. 136 They lepith als lyghtly at the longe goynge, Out of the domes cart. ? c 1475 Sqr. lowe Degre 273 Ye shall not want at your goyng Golde, nor sylver, nor other thyng. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 290 Thy going is not lonely; with thee goes Thy husband. 1792 Cowper Let. 30 July, Pray for us, my friend, that we may have a safe going and return. 1807 Wordsw. White Doe i. 148 The day is placid in its going. |
† c. The faculty of walking.
Obs.| c 1430 Life St. Kath. (1884) 37 By whos myghty vertu goynge is restored to þe lame. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. cci. 182 God hath yeuen..to crepels hir goyng. 1594 R. Ashley tr. Le Roy's Variety of Things 77 a, He gaue..straight going to the lame. 1635 E. Pagitt Christianogr. iii. (1636) 54 Life was given to the dead..going to the lame. |
† 2. Manner or style of going; gait. In
pl. of a horse: Paces. (
Cf. go v. 1 d.)
Obs.| 1382 Wyclif 2 Kings ix. 20 The goynge is as the goynge of Hieu, the sone of Nampsy. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 328 In goynge of an addre. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. xi. §223 And the king all the morning found fault with the going of his horse. 1701 Lond. Gaz. No. 3703/4 A..cropt Gelding..full aged..and all his Goings. 1805 Wordsw. Waggoner iv. 148 Erect his port, and firm his going. |
† 3. a. Means of access; a path, road; a passage, gangway (in a church).
Obs.| 1382 Wyclif Isa. lxii. 10 Pleyn maketh the going. 1516 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) V. 73 To be buried..in the myddes of the loweste goyng, even enens my stall. 1715 Leoni Palladio's Archit. (1742) I. 94 The going to the galleries..should have been by some few steps. |
b. Building. Width of passage (of a stair).
| 1712 J. Jones Gardening 125 A..Rest of two Paces broad, and as long as the Going of the Stairs. 1842–59 Gwilt Archit. §2179 Want of space..often obliges the architect to submit to less [width] in what is called the going of the stair. |
4. a. Condition of the ground for walking, driving, hunting or racing. Also, a line or route, considered as difficult or easy to follow; advance or progress as helped or hindered by the nature of the ground;
heavy going: something difficult to negotiate; slow or difficult progress;
freq. fig.| 1848 Bartlett Dict. Amer. 159 The going is good since the road was repaired. 1859 Ibid. (ed. 2), Going, travelling; as ‘The going is bad, owing to the deep snow in the roads’. 1884 Baddeley & Ward North Wales 191 The going consists of stones and ruts concealed by heather to such an extent that almost every step is a matter of careful consideration. 1887 Sir R. H. Roberts In the Shires ii. 27 The fences are fair and the going pretty good, although the late rains have made it somewhat heavy. 1901 ‘Linesman’ Words by Eyewitness v. 101 A narrow path just above the water⁓line, overhung with bushes in parts, formed the ‘going’. 1925 E. F. Norton Fight for Everest, 1924 114 We made very poor going, descending at a very much slower pace than we had made two years before. 1930 J. B. Priestley Angel Pavement iii. 124 He found such books too heavy going and preferred a detective story. 1935 Economist 5 Oct. 647/1 The ‘going’ was then still good. For the immediate future during the last quarter of the year, the ‘going’ in the new capital market seems likely to be heavy and uneven. 1936 Discovery May 142/1 The next stage, up the North Ridge, is not very difficult technically but is, nevertheless, heavy going. 1958 Listener 18 Sept. 433/3 A book that is not only full of interest but is completely without heavy going. |
b. Colloq. phr. while the going is good: while the conditions are favourable;
freq. to go while the going is good.
| 1916 H. L. Mencken Let. 10 July (1961) 85 You would be a maniac not to go out for all that money while the going is good. 1927 H. Waddell Wandering Scholars ii. 48 Warned in time, the two..had gone while the going was good. 1958 Hayward & Harari tr. Pasternak's Dr. Zhivago i. vii. 199 She..made off with her, home to their village while the going was good. |
5. a. With adverbs, expressing the action of the
vbl. combinations under
go v. VI. Also
attrib. going-away: used
attrib. to designate: (
a) clothes worn by a bride when she departs for her honeymoon; (
b) a savings club in which members build up holiday funds by small part-payments.
| 1388 Wyclif Ps. cxx. 8 The Lorde kepe thi goyng in and thi goyng out. c 1440 Jacob's Well (E.E.T.S.) 264 His fadyr & modyr, for his goyng awey, sowȝtyn hym in dyuerse londys. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abuses 51 All other goynges together and coitions are damnable. 1599 H. Buttes Dyets drie Dinner F iij, The fourth day of her going abroad. 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 29 After a longe declininge and goinge backe. 1659 Hammond On Ps. lix. 12 Their continual going on, and obstinate impersuasiblenesse therein. 1824 S. E. Ferrier Inher. xxviii, The nuptials, which they merely thought of as Bell's going off. 1850 ‘Bat’ Cricketer's Man. 46 Place the order of going in, on the left-hand side of the striker's name. 1884 Pall Mall G. 27 Aug. 7/2 Mrs. H—'s going-away gown being a dark brown cashmere. 1910 H. G. Wells Mr. Polly vi. 175 The heroine had stood at the altar in ‘a modest going-away dress’. 1912 A. Bennett Matador 135 William Henry began grimly to pay his subscriptions to the next year's Going Away Club. 1928 Observer 1 July 21/4 The amount of money which has been disbursed by the ‘Going-away clubs’ is as large as ever. 1959 D. Eden Sleeping Bride iv. 30 This is my going-away suit. |
b. going down: setting (of the sun), sunset.
† Also
going to,
going under.
| a 1325 Prose Psalter xlix. [l.] 2 Fram þe sonne arisyng vn-to þe going a-doune. 1490 Caxton Eneydos xxii. 80 Atte euen, about y⊇ gooyng vnder of y⊇ sonne. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. ix. 22 Vpon the Saterday..about the going doune of the Sunne. 1622 Sir R. Hawkins Observ. Voy. S. Sea a.d. 1593 xxvii. 60 The twenty two of this moneth, at the going too of the Sunne, we descryed a Portingall ship, and gaue her chase. 1866 A. D. Whitney L. Goldthwaite iv, They watched the long, golden going-down of the sun. 1917 W. B. Yeats Wild Swans at Coole 15 From going-down of the sun. |
| fig. 1837 Dickens Pickw. ii, Mr. Winkle looked up at the declining orb, and painfully thought of the probability of his ‘going-down’ himself, before long. |
c. goings-on (see
go on,
go v. 86 d and
f.): Proceedings, actions, doings. Usually with implied censure: Questionable proceedings, extravagances, frolics.
| 1775 Johnson Let. 26 July, Then I shall see what have been my master's goings on. 1777 E. Ryves Poems 153 See if he will release you, when he hears of your pretty goings-on. 1842 Manning Serm. (1848) I. 67 The warm and clinging fondness which they still have for the goings on of their worldly life. 1888 J. Payn Myst. Mirbridge II. xx. 61 Suspicions of his young master's goings-on with her ladyship's protegée. |
† d. goings-out: expenses, outgoings.
Obs.| a 1704 T. Brown Two Oxf. Scholars Wks. 1730 I. 7, I shall quickly feel my goings-out. a 1745 Swift Riddle iv. 35 Computing what I get and spend My Goings out and Comings in. 1807 Southey in Life & Corr. (1850) III. 113, I cannot afford the expense of the journey; for I have had extraordinary goings-out, this year, in settling myself. |
6. attrib. and
Comb., as
going-barrel (see
quot.), also
attrib.;
going-board Coal-mining (see
quot.);
going-fusee (see
quot.);
going-to-press a., designating the latest items of news in a newspaper or the like;
in going order (primarily of a clock, hence often
transf.), in a condition for ‘going’ properly,
cf. in working order;
going-train, a train of wheels in a clock, answering the same purpose as the going-barrel in a watch;
going-wheel, an arrangement for keeping a clock in motion while it is being wound up.
| 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. (1892) *Going Barrel, the barrel of a watch or clock round which are teeth for driving the train direct without the intervention of a fusee. Ibid. (1884) 131 The keyless mechanism most generally adopted in English going-barrel watches. |
| 1851 Greenwell Coal-trade Terms Northumb. & Durh. 29 The coals are brought down a board for one, two, or more pillars..to the crane. This board is called the *going (or ‘gannen’) board. |
| 1838 Penny Cycl. XII. 301/1 When this principle [maintaining power] is applied to a fusee, it is termed a *going fusee. |
| 1887 Lady Bellairs Gossips with Girls ii. 92 To keep her eyes in ‘*going order’..without being obliged to resort to glasses. |
| 1906 Westm. Gaz. 24 Apr. 7/3 The following are *going-to-press Stock Exchange prices. |
| 1838 Penny Cycl. XII. 299/2 That part of it [a clock] which is called the *going or watch train. |
II. In the combination
a-going (see
a prep.1 13), whence, in later use, the simple form
going, treated as a present participle, in agreement with the
n. 7. a-going (also
† in going), in senses of the
vb. go. Now only
vulgar.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 9 The iourney..towarde the hye Jerusalem in heuen, to y⊇ whiche we be in goynge. 1658–9 E. Bodvile in Hatton Corr. (1878) 17 My Lord Chisterfild hoe is agoeing into Francs himselfe. 1662 Glanville Lux Orient. ii. (1682) 10 Before they consider whither they are a-going. 1861 [see go v. 47 b]. |
8. to set (keep, etc.) a-going or going: to set (keep, etc.) in motion; to start (or maintain) in any activity.
| 1583 A. Conham in Babington's Commandm. Ded. to Godly Rdrs. (1637) a v j, With lesse paines to keepe agoing that which he had moved, and set a going. 1726 Cavallier Mem. iv. 310 All the Water Works were set a going. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas v. i. ¶62 My savings were..wanted to set us going in a genteel style among our country neighbours. 1837 Whittock, etc. Bk. Trades (1842) 384 The means of keeping it [machinery] ‘a going’. 1850 Tait's Mag. XVII. 146/2 He set them [watches] all going. 1865 Mozley Mirac. vii. 159 Influences, which were originally set agoing by that agency. 1888 W. J. Knox-Little Child of Stafferton xv. 205 She kept the conversation going. |
9. Used either as simple predicate, or added after the
n.,
esp. when preceded by a superlative: Existing, in existence (so as to be accessible or within reach); current or prevalent; to be had.
| 1720 Wodrow Corr. (1843) II. 510 That you may have any thing that is agoing, please to receive [etc.]. 1790 By-stander 392, I says we beggars be the cleverest fellows going. 1849 Ruskin Sev. Lamps vii. §4. 187 A man who has the gift, will take up any style that is going. 1857 Hughes Tom Brown i. viii, Brandy punch going, I'll bet. 1865 M. Arnold Ess. Crit. ii. (1875) 76 If you have genius and powerful ideas, you are apt not to have the best style going. 1871 Ruskin Fors Clav. iv. 8 Mr. Mill does not know, nor any other Political Economist going. |
▪ II. going, ppl. a. (
ˈgəʊɪŋ)
[f. go v. + -ing2.] That goes (in various senses); departing; current; working. A
going concern: one in actual operation; a flourishing business; a profitable enterprise.
† going gear: working machinery.
† going money: current coin. Often with some limiting
n., as
church-going,
theatre-going, etc.; or
adv., as
high-going,
low-going.
| c 1340 Cursor M. 401 (Trin.) Alle goynge beestis..he made. 1523 The goyng geyre [see gear n. 6 a]. 1591 G. Fletcher Russe Commw. (Hakluyt Soc.) 67 One hundred rubbles of going money of Mosko. 1665 Cotton Poet. Wks. (1765) 108 I'll haunt thee like a going Fire. 1713 Steele Englishm. No. 3. 20 The Weaver..has not so many Looms going as he had a few Months ago. 1724 Ramsay Tea-t. Misc. (1733) I. 8 Twa good ga'en yads. 1839 Penny Cycl. XIII. 25/2 The sheriffs are generally nominated by the going judges. 1881 Daily News 21 June 6/8 The business being a going concern. 1883 Athenæum 8 Dec. 744/1 Ladies on a pier, watching the going ship. 1930 Economist 26 Apr. 938/2 It is..unlikely that Europe will recover her pre-war economic position unless and until Russia becomes a ‘going concern’ again. 1932 N. Hodgins Some Canadian Essays 111 If a religion is a going concern, in the sense of helping a man to face life and death honestly, it has already proved its substantial truth. 1939 Brit. Jrnl. Psychol. Jan. 221 Stragglers will return once they see the church is a ‘going concern’. 1955 T. Williams Orpheus Descending ii. i. 62, I got a going concern in this mercantile store. |
Hence
† ˈgoingly adv., at a walking pace. ?
nonce-use.
| 1651 Bedell in Fuller's Abel Rediv., Erasmus 73 He can run but goingly, who ties himselfe to another mans footsteps. |