▪ I. owing, vbl. n.
(ˈəʊɪŋ)
[f. owe v. + -ing1.]
The action of the verb owe (sense 2); that which one owes; obligation to pay, indebtedness; debt.
| 1552 Huloet, Owynge, or the act of owynge, debitio. 1628 Gaule Pract. The. (1629) 109 Cæsar inuades the Fortunes of his Subiects, either to vphold his Honours, or absolue his Owings. 1839 F. A. Kemble Rec. Later Life I. 235 Being in the mind to pay my owings, I proceed to do so. |
▪ II. owing, ppl. a.
(ˈəʊɪŋ)
[f. as prec. + -ing2. Almost always used predicatively, or after its noun.]
1. That owes (see owe v. 2, etc.); that is under obligation, bound (to do something); indebted, bounden, beholden (to a person for something). Now rare or Obs.
| 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. x. 69 Þenne is holy chirche a-signet [v.rr. owynge, awynge] to helpen hem and sauen. 1678 Pepys Corr. 292, I am greatly owing to your Lordship for your last favour. 1691 T. H[ale] Acc. New Invent. 13 One Instance..of what this Company is owing for, to the..Thoughtfulness of its Accusers. |
2. Said of the thing: That is yet to be paid or rendered; owed, due. Const. to or simple dat. (The usual current sense.)
The origin of this use is obscure, there being no corresponding sense of the vb.; it might possibly be reflexive, ‘owing itself’, hence ‘being owed’.
| 1411 in E.E. Wills 19 Of whiche somme ys owynge to me, to be payd, an.C. Mark by þ⊇ handes of my lady louell. 1435 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 493/1 Certeyn dette, which they clayme to be owyng hem by..ye Kyng. 1570 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees 1835) 344 Dettis awand me. 1596 Danett tr. Comines (1614) 179 At the yeeres ende there is not one penny owing them. 1782 F. Burney Cecilia ix. v, She discharged all that was owing for the children. |
3. fig. owing to: a. pred. That owes its existence to; attributable to; derived or arising from, caused by, consequent on, ‘due to’ (see due a. 9).
| 1655 Stanley Hist. Philos. i. (1701) 43/1 Wise Cleobulus's Death, the Lyndian Shoar, To which his Birth was owing, doth deplore. 1695 Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth i. (1723) 17 These are the very Exuviæ of Animals, and all owing to the Sea. 1706 Hearne Collect. (O.H.S.) I. 173 As to the Notes..they are in a great Measure owing to Mr. Potter. 1812 Sir H. Davy Chem. Philos. 2 The effect is owing to the presence of light. 1858 Buckle Civiliz. (1873) II. viii. 582 It is to a knowledge of the laws and relations of things that European civilization is owing. |
b. Hence, as prepositional phr.: In consequence of, on account of, because of. (Cf. according to.)
| 1814 Scott Wav. x, Owing to his natural disposition to study..he had been bred with a view to the bar. 1815 ― Guy M. xl, Owing to these circumstances, Brown remained several days in Allonby without any answers whatever. 1839 Stonehouse Axholme 163 Where the lands are divided into a great many selions, and, owing to the number of owners, are continually passing from one person to another. 1865 Lightfoot Comm. Gal. (1874) 151 This rendering obtained currency..owing to the untoward circumstances of the times. |