brewing, vbl. n.
(ˈbruːɪŋ)
[f. brew v. + -ing1.]
1. a. The action, process, or occupation described under brew (various senses).
| 1467 Bury Wills (1850) 46, I will that the seid Denys haue here esement in the bakhows in lawfull tyme for bruynge. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 179 Great brewyng, small drinke. 1663 Gerbier Counsel 5 Nor is a Laboratorium..fit either for Baking or Brewing. 1777 Macbride in Phil. Trans. LXVIII. 122 You will have a second brewing of lime-water. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 585 Sir John Friend..had made a very large fortune by brewing. |
b. fig. Concoction, preparation.
| 1545 Joye Exp. Dan. xi. (R.) The miserable mutacions of kingdoms nowe..in brewing. 1601 Holland Pliny xiv. vi. (R.) Such a brewing and sophistication of them they make. 1673 [R. Leigh] Transpr. Reh. 39 This is a Plot..this has been a brewing any time this Thirty years. 1854 Alford in Life (1873) 237, I have an Edinburgh article in brewing. |
2. The quantity of liquor brewed at once.
| 1626 Bacon Sylva (J.) A brewing of new beer, set by old beer, maketh it work again. 1753 Scots Mag. Aug. 393/2 Distilling the second draught of a brewing of aqua-vitæ. |
3. Naut. A collection of black clouds betokening a storm.
4. attrib. and
Comb.,
† brewing-lead, a vessel for brewing in;
brewing-up, (
a) gradual formation or production; (
b) (see
quot. 1961).
| 1885 Civilian 3 Jan. 130/1 An Act..to make it compulsory that every collection of worts be entered in the *brewing-book within one hour. |
| 1551–60 Inv. in H. Hall Soc. Elizab. Age (1886) 152 In the Brewhouse A *Brewing Copper. |
| 1702 Lond. Gaz. No. 3855/4 Utensils proper..for a *Brewing house. |
| 1444 Test. Ebor. II. 100 Lego..i. *brewinglede. 1504 Bury Wills (1850) 101, I wull that they shall haue all brewyng ledys. |
| 1694 Lond. Gaz. No. 2991/4 The Greyhound in Ipswich..with a convenient *Brewing Office. |
| 1838 Dickens O. Twist (1850) 110/1 A scullery, or small *brewing-place, at the end of the passage. |
| 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xvii, We shall then have the loan of his cider-press and *brewing-tubs for nothing. |
| 1953 R. Lehmann Echoing Grove 103 She began to speak..of the first signs..of the *brewing-up of Corrigan's psychological collapse. 1961 Times 7 Nov. 19/1 In Britain a thriving business has grown up in tuning and modifying the engines of existing models [of cars] to give more performance... Referred to by enthusiasts as ‘brewing up’,..or merely ‘hotting up’. |
| 1863 Times 6 Mar., Another rickety booth holds the *brewing utensils. |
| 1462 Test. Ebor. II. 256 A cesterne, the ledes, with other *brewing-vessell. |