▪ I. halving, vbl. n.1
(ˈhɑːvɪŋ)
[f. halve v.]
1. The action of the vb. halve; division into two equal parts; sharing equally.
| c 1430 Art Nombryng (E.E.T.S.) 6 The halfyng of euery nombre. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 41 The often halfing of ages. |
† b. The rendering of half service, divided obedience. Obs.
| 1613 Bp. Hall Recoll. Treat. (1614) 700 Against halving, hee will bee served with all the heart. 1642 Bp. Reynolds Israel's Petit. 16 To reprove and humble us, for our Hypocrisie and halvings with God. a 1680 Brooks in Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. cxix. 145 God neither loves halting nor halving; he will be served truly and totally. |
2. Carpentry. A method of fitting two pieces of timber together by cutting out half the thickness of each, so as to let them into each other.
| 1842–76 Gwilt Archit. Gloss., Halving, a method of joining timbers by letting them into each other. It is preferable to mortising. 1881 Young Every Man his own Mechanic §437 Halving is the simplest mode of performing the operation to which the term ‘scarfing’ is applied. |
▪ II. halving, vbl. n.2
[f. halve, half-net) + -ing1.]
Fishing with a half-net.
| 1791 Statist. Acc. Scotl., Dumfriessh. II. 16 (Jam.) A second mode of fishing, called haaving or hauling. 1812 Singer Agric. Dumpfries 604 In halving, all animosities are forgot. |