▪ I. grunting, vbl. n.
(ˈgrʌntɪŋ)
[f. grunt v. + -ing1.]
The action of the vb. grunt; the uttering of a grunt; groaning.
| 13.. Childh. Jesus 378 in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr. LXXIV. 332 Vn-to the owenne þane gane þay gaa, And thare-Ine herde þay gronntynge grete [of pigs]. c 1430 Hymns Virg. 83 Mi modir for me suffride sorewe With gruntyngis gril & siȝinge sare. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. ccxxxii. 266 The crye of the enemyes..noyse of trumpettys, and gruntynge of horsysse, approchyd and smote together. c 1560 Veron (title), A Fruteful treatise of predestination..against the swynyshe gruntinge of the Epicures and Atheystes of oure time. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. Scot. 230 Nothing was heard but grunting and groning of people. 1620 Middleton Chaste Maid i. ii, When she lies in, As now she's even upon the point of grunting, A lady lies not in like her [etc.]. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iii. i. 107 Pliny and divers since affirme, that Elephants are terrified, and make away upon the grunting of Swine. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) IV. 289 A peculiar cry, somewhat a mixture between the grunting of a hog, and the bellowing of a calf. 1820 Shelley Œdipus ii. ii. 40 For God's sake stop the grunting of those pigs! 1876 Green Stray Stud. 215 But murmurings and gruntings broke idly against the old abbot's imperious will. 1894 Baring-Gould Kitty Alone III. 80 With random gruntings of the violoncello. |
† b. = grinding (of teeth). Obs.
| 1388 Wyclif Luke xiii. 28 There schal be wepyng and gruntyng [1382 beting to gidere] of teeth. |
▪ II. ˈgrunting, ppl. a.
[-ing2.]
That grunts.
| 1633 P. Fletcher Purpl. Isl. xi. xlii, There lies the grunting swine. 1697 Dryden æneid vii. 786 Here Pluto pants for breath from out his cell And opens wide the grunting jaws of hell. 1704 Swift T. Tub (1709) 137 A lazy, an impatient and a grunting reader. 1727 Philip Quarll 101 To save his Money, and to be ridd of a grunting Companion. 1817 Byron Beppo xliv, Like our harsh northern whistling, grunting guttural. 1828 Lights & Shades II. 123 A grunting hog, with a rope tied to his left leg. 1863 Atkinson Stanton Grange 20 The odd, uncouth, grunting coo of the stock-dove was heard. |
b. Special collocations: † grunting-cheat slang, a pig; grunting-ox, the yak, Poëphagus grunniens (Cent. Dict.); grunting-peck slang, pork.
| 1567 Harman Caveat 86 She hath a Cacling chete, a grunting chete, ruff Pecke, cassan, and popplarr of yarum. 1622 Fletcher Beggar's Bush v. i, Or surprising a boor's ken for grunting-cheats. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Grunting-Peeck, Pork. 1836 Smith Individual (Farmer), ‘The Thieves' Chaunt’. But dearer to me Sue's kisses far, Than Grunting Peck or other grub are. |
Hence ˈgruntingly adv., in a grunting manner.
| 1611 Cotgr., Murmurantement, murmuringly, mutteringly, gruntingly. 1829 Lytton Disowned 17 In earnest admiration of two pigs, which marched, gruntingly, towards him. 1837 New Monthly Mag. L. 415 James..gruntingly breathed, and snuffingly said. |