▪ I. compassing, vbl. n.
(ˈkʌmpəsɪŋ)
[f. as prec. + -ing1.]
The action of the verb compass.
1. A devising, planning; a device, design, artifice, contrivance.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 27286 Wit quentise and wit compasing, vt of his denn þe nedder bring. c 1375 Barbour Troy-bk. ii. 2140 Throw Dyomedis compassinge Hire broþir was slayne. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame iii. 1188 Many subtil compassinges, Babewinnes and pinacles, Ymageries and tabernacles, I saw. 1486 Act 3 Hen. VII, c. 14 Such false Compassings, Imaginations, and Confederacies had against any Lord. 1681 Trial S. Colledge 3 Treasons and trayterous Imaginations, Compassings and Purposes. 1769 Blackstone Comm. IV. 78 Compassing or imagining..are synonymous terms; the word compass signifying the purpose or design of the mind or will, and not, as in common speech, the carrying such design to effect. 1848 Act 11 Vict. (Better Security of Crown), Compassings, imaginations, inventions, devices. |
2. A going round or about, a circuit; surrounding, circling, or curving.
| 1530 Palsgr. 207 Compassyng of tyme, reuolution. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low-C. Warrs 209 Francis Drake..in the compassing of the World. |
† b. Circumlocution. Obs.
| 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong., Circuition de parolles, a compassing in with wordes. 1580 Apol. Pr. Orange in Phœnix I. 453, I had not used..any Circuits or Compassings of words. |
3. Attaining, achieving. arch.
| 1586 A. Day Eng. Secretarie i. (1625) 90 The compassing thereof. 1659 Fuller App. Inj. Innoc. iii. 57 There was no compassing of it without compace-ing it; no reaching the end without going out of the way. 1769 [see 1]. 1863 Kinglake Crimea (1876) I. iii. 44 The compassing of vast distances. |
† 4. Adulteration (of wine). Obs.
| 1703 Art of Vintners 20 The Transmutation or Sophistication of Wines, which they call Trickings or Compassings. |
▪ II. compassing, ppl. a.
(ˈkʌmpəsɪŋ)
[f. as prec. + -ing2.]
That compasses: see the vb.
| c 1440 Generydes 4163 By a subtill and false compassing trayn, Clarionas..is betrayed. 1576 Fleming Panop. Epist. 400 His fine compassing witte and eloquence. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. ii. ii. iii. (1651) 245 Every fixed star a Sun, with his compassing Planets. |
b. Curving, curved.
| 1576 Fleming Panop. Epist. ¶ iij b, The crooked turnings, and the compassing arbours of the same [garden]. 1588–1607 [see compass v.1 15]. 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789) H ij b, A strong piece of timber incurvated nearly into a circular arch, or, according to the technical term, compassing. c 1850 Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 107 Compassing, crooked or curved. |
Hence † ˈcompassingly adv. Obs., in a curve.
| 1578 Banister Hist. Man iv. 52 When the one [muscle] worketh onely, then is the head compassingly turned to the one side. |