▪ I. † ˈarming, n.
Also 1–2 earming, 2–3 erming, 7 armine; the identity of the last is doubtful.
[OE.; f. earm, arm a., poor: see -ing.]
A poor or miserable creature. Rarely attrib.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. (Sweet Reader 80) Ȝe sind earmingas ᵹewordene. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 41 To pinen þer wiðinnen þa earming saulen. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 61 Makede him..erming þer he was er king. 1605 Lond. Prodigal 122 O here God, so young an armine! Flo. Armine, sweetheart, I know not what you mean by that, but I am almost a beggar. |
▪ II. arming, vbl. n.
(ˈɑːmɪŋ)
[f. arm v.1 + -ing1.]
1. The action or process of furnishing (oneself or others) with arms or armour; † concr. arms, armour (obs.).
| 1375 Barbour Bruce vii. 218 Na war the armyng that he had, He had beyn ded. c 1386 Chaucer Sir Thopas 136 For to telle tales Anoon in myn armynge. c 1450 Lonelich Grail xiv. 240 Ne non point of al his armeng. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres iv. i. 120 His arming is the proper arming of a Captaine. 1626 Markham Souldiers Gram. ii. 13 His office extendeth..to the well arming, ordering and disposing of bodies. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xii, The arming was now universal. |
† b. esp. quasi-adj. in attrib. uses: = Forming part of arms or armour, used in military accoutrement; as in arming-dagger, arming-gauntlet, arming-girdle, arming-nail, arming-sword, arming-tusk; arming-points, ends of strong twine used to fasten together the plates of mail at the joints of the arms and legs. Obs.
| 1472 Sir J. Paston in Lett. 692 III. 40 And I gaffe hym a ffayr armyng sworde. 1481–90 Howard Househ. Bks. 385 For ijc. off armyngnayle of on sorte, ijd. a 1500 Agincourt 74 in Hazl. E.P.P. II. 96 Speres and bylles..And armynge dagers. 1577 Harrison Engl. i. ii. xxiv. 359 An arming girdle, harnessed with pure gold. 1598 Florio, Balteo, a belt, a sword or arming girdle. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turkes (1638) 274 With their lances and arming swords. 1611 Cotgr., Brasselet..an arming gantlet, that reaches up almost to the elbow. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 398 The bristled Boar..New grinds his arming Tusks. 1860 Fairholt Costume 543 [Palettes] are secured to the plate beneath by arming points. |
2. Any apparatus or structure intended for defensive or protective covering; spec. those of a ship.
| 1466 Mann. & Househ. Exp. 347 For the lynenge of the toppe armynge..xxd. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 543/1 Thereupon also the arming might be set much more firmlie than upon anie other mould. 1627 Smith Seaman's Gram. xiii. 59 His..top armings..is a long red cloth. 1751 Chambers Cycl., Armings..red clothes, hung about the outsides of the ship's upper works, fore and aft. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Top-armings, hammocks stowed inside the rigging for the protection of riflemen. |
3. The equipment or completion of anything with that which gives it strength or efficiency, or fits it for a purpose. concr. The completing part thus furnished. In various spec. uses, as: the tallow at the bottom of a sounding-lead; the armature of a magnet. Often attrib.
| 1552 Huloet, Armynge coarde of a nette, Plaga. 1581 J. Studley Seneca's Trag., Hippol. 56 b, Some with the arming coarde by pensell paynted red..shall make the Beastes adred. 1598 Barret Theor. Warres iv. iv. 113 Neither that anie Pike do want his head, cheekes, or arming. 1601 Shakes. All's Well iv. iii. 72 To the full arming of the veritie. 1653 Walton Angler 150 Carrying your arming wyer along his back. 1731 Gray in Phil. Trans. XXXVII. 32 A small key hung by one of its [a loadstone's] arming Irons. 1775 Dalrymple ibid. LXVIII. 396 There was the mark of rock on the arming of the lead. 1855 Whichcord in Archæol. Jrnl. X. 48 The lines of the lead-work, or arming, which held the glass. 1867 F. Francis Angling iv. (1880) 118 A bait thus put on..shows enough arming..to hook any fish. 1875 Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. v. 153 The necessary tallow for arming. |
4. The action of furnishing with heraldic devices; † concr. heraldic arms (obs.). attrib., as in arming-press, a bookbinder's machine used in stamping and lettering the covers of books.
| 1598 Marston Pigmalion's Im. i. 140 Oh golden Ierkin! Royall arming coate! 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Knt. Pestle i. 51, I must bespeak my Shield and arming Pestle. 1627 Drayton Agincourt etc. 14 Or by the difference of their Armings knowne, Or by their Colours. 1875 Ure Dict. Arts I. 422 The upper bed of an arming press. |
▪ III. ˈarming, vbl. n.2
[f. arm v.2 + -ing1.]
Carrying in arms; attrib. for carrying in arms. Cf. walking-stick, drinking water.
| a 1658 Ford, etc. Witch Edmonton v. i, If you can translate yourself into a lady's arming puppy, there you might lick sweet lips. |
▪ IV. arming, ppl. a.
(ˈɑːmɪŋ)
[f. arm v.1 + -ing2.]
That arms; that furnishes armour or defence.
| 1673 Penn Chr. Quaker iv. 530 That Light..is a Searching, Expelling, Powerful and Arming Light, against Darkness. |