▪ I. debating, vbl. n.
(dɪˈbeɪtɪŋ)
[-ing1.]
a. The action of debate v.1; discussion; deliberation.
| 1548 Hall Chron. 110 After long debatyng, the Commons concluded to graunte .ii.s. of the pound. 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 274 Then childish feare auaunt, debating die. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. iv. §2 The end of debating is to persuade. 1845 S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. II. 71 After a great deal of debating a resolution was passed. |
b. attrib., as in debating club = debating society; debating point, a point which, though not necessarily essential to the matter in hand, furnishes a useful or interesting subject for debate; a proposition, contention, etc., used mainly to impress or disconcert one's opponent in a debate; debating society, a society whose members meet for practice in debating.
| 1741 Athen. Lett. (1792) II. 18, I find myself in such a debating humour, that you must indulge me. 1792 Gentl. Mag. LXII. ii. 1146 Proceedings..with respect to a debating-society at the house formerly the King's Arms tavern, in Cornhill. 1808 Med. Jrnl. XIX. 445 To answer every base attack on Vaccination, in Newspapers or in Debating Societies. 1830 C. C. Baldwin Diary 6 Feb. (1901) 52 The Debating Club, composed of law students generally, hold a public debate. 1857 Buckle Civiliz. I. vii. 394 In the middle of the 18th century debating societies sprung up among tradesmen. 1862 Bagehot Coll. Works (1965) II. 225 The House of Commons..became..the debating-club of fashion. 1885 Leeds Mercury 24 June 4/4 The new Government will be..weak in debating power. 1927 G. B. Shaw Doctors' Delusions (1932) 135 Shallow petulances and tu quoques which have remained part of the vivisector's stock of debating points ever since. 1928 Daily Tel. 9 Oct. 6 ‘I do plead for the liberties of the people of England more than any of you do.’ It was not a bad debating point, if such things had then been of any avail. 1965 Listener 2 Sept. 348/2 It may be no more than an interesting debating point, but in fact this eastern area was..little used or even visited by Indians. |
▪ II. deˈbating, ppl. a.
[-ing2.]
That debates: see debate v.1
| 1702 Rowe Tamerl. i. ii. 665 Debating Senates. 1749 Deity, A Poem 30 As just the structure, and as wise the plan, As in the lord of all—debating man! |
Hence deˈbatingly adv. rare—0.
| 1847 in Craig. |