▪ I. ˈyellowing, vbl. n.1
[f. yellow v.1 + -ing1.]
The action of imparting a yellow colour.
| 1611 Cotgr., Iaulnissure,..a yellowing, or making yellow. 1622 T. Stoughton Chr. Sacrif. xii. 166 Thrift..is pleaded for this yellowing of linnen as the which being so yellowed needeth not so much washing. 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Yellowing, a manufacturing term for cleaning pins. 1859 A. Smith in Macm. Mag. I. 125 The slow yellowing of wheaten plains. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Yellowing, the passing over of captains at a flag promotion. 1894 Brit. Jrnl. Photog. XLI. 25 There would be no yellowing if the paper was good. |
So ˈyellowing ppl. a., turning yellow, becoming yellow. Also fig.
| 1757 Dyer Fleece iv. 576 The op'ning vallies, and the yellowing plains. 1840 Browning Sordello i. 452 The noisy flock of thievish birds at work Among the yellowing vineyards. 1842 Tennyson Sir Launcelot & Q. Guinevere ii, In curves the yellowing river ran. 1859 Gullick & Timbs Painting 208 The yellowing tendency of oils on blue. 1908 S. E. White Riverman viii, The old piano with the yellowing keys. 1961 E. Williams George xxi. 339 Divvers—..a routine side-exam based on the yellowing idea that an Oxford graduate must have a solid religious training. 1977 Guardian Weekly 10 July 17/4 All that is left is a batch of yellowing declarations of good intentions. |
▪ II. yellowing vbl. n.2
see yellow v.2