▪ I. greeting, vbl. n.1
(ˈgriːtɪŋ)
[f. greet v.1 + -ing1.]
a. The action of greet v.1, in various senses; an instance of this, esp. a salutation. sendeth greeting: a translation (now arch.) of the Lat. and Gr. epistolary formulæ of salutation, salutem (dicit), χαίρειν; also with ellipsis of the vb.
| c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. ii. x. (1891) 124 Bonefatius papa sende Eadwine gretinge. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Luke i. 29 And ᵹeðohte huliᵹ wæs ðios groeteng. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 207 Gretunge, keiser, walde wel bicumen þe..ȝef [etc.]. c 1275 in O.E. Misc. 100 From heouene in-to eorþe god gretynge he sende. a 1300 Cursor M. 17647 Ioseph sli greting þam gaf, ‘Godds peis mot yee alle haf’. c 1350 Will. Palerne 4883 A gay greting was þer gret wan þei togedir met. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 9 Whanne Elizabeth herde þe greting of Marie. 1444 Extracts Aberdeen Reg. (1844) I. 399 James, be the grace of God kyng of Scottis, to the alderman and balleis of our burgh of Aberden gretyng. c 1450 Merlin 47 My lady sente me to yow, and sendeth yow gretinge, and sente yow this letter. 1535 Coverdale 2 Macc. xi. 27 Kynge Antiochus sendeth gretinge vnto the councell and the other people of the Iewes. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, i. iii. 254 Oh to what purpose dost thou hord thy words, That thou returnst no greeting to thy friends? 1597 ― 2 Hen. IV, iv. i. 27 Health, and faire greeting from our Generall. 1611 Bible Jas. i. 1 Iames..to the twelue tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. 1685 Baxter Paraphr. N.T., 3 John i. 13–14 Kind Remembrances and Greetings are suitable to Christian Fellowship. 1805 Wordsw. Waggoner i. 54 Where once the Dove and Olive-Bough Offered a greeting of good ale To all who entered Grasmere Vale. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola lxiv, Tito did not kneel, but simply made a greeting of profound deference. 1876 Green Stray Stud. 51 Everybody meets everybody with greetings on the warmth and the sunshine. |
b. Comb., as greeting-place, greeting-word; greeting(s)-card, a card sent to relatives and friends at Christmas (or another festival); greeting stamp (see quot.); greeting(s) telegram, a coloured and illustrated telegram form conveying congratulations for weddings, birthdays, etc.
| 1898 Weekly Budget (Christmas Suppl.) 24 Dec. 14/5 (heading) Yule-tide parcel..containing:..*greeting cards, [etc.]. 1907 Westm. Gaz. 10 Dec. 12/1 The sending of the Royal greeting-cards is also a very big business. 1936 Discovery Dec. 366/2 Attractive greeting cards for Christmas use. 1951 Catal. Exhibits, S. Bank Exhib. Festival of Britain 49/2 Greetings Cards. 1967 F. Mullally Prizewinner iv. 57 She had been behind the counter, serving a woman with greetings cards. |
| 1867 R. S. Hawker Prose Wks. (1893) 114 The tree which marked the *greeting-place of master Bunsby. |
| 1936 Discovery Dec. 378/2 Christmas seals, which are little *greeting stamps used for sticking on the flaps of Christmas letters and on parcels. |
| 1937 Rep. Proc. 14th Conf. ASLIB 76 The design of a new ‘*greetings’ telegram. 1952 M. Steen Phoenix Rising ii. 51 The floor was littered with the gilt envelopes of ‘greeting’ telegrams. 1967 V. Canning Python Project vi. 110 The British Post Office..would deliver it as a greetings telegram with a border of fluffy rabbits, song birds and nosegays. |
| c 1200 Ormin 2799 Rihht affterr þatt tin *greting word Wass cumenn i min ære. |
▪ II. greeting, vbl. n.2 Now only Sc. and north. dial.
(ˈgriːtɪŋ)
[f. greet v.2 + -ing1.]
The action of greet v.2; lamentation, weeping.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 24624 For mi greting ful sare þai grett. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1451 Now es laghter and now es gretyng. 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 514 Thocht I say that thai gret, sothly It wes na greting propyrly. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) ix. 34 Þe vale of Mambre, þat es at say þe Vale of Gretyng. c 1400 Destr. Troy 3491 What gretyng & gremþ growes vnto þe? 1533 Bellenden Livy v. (1822) 428 Ane huge clamoure, mingit sum parte with skirll and greting of wiffis and barnis. 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 210 Griting and gnashing of teeth. |
| attrib. a 1300 Cursor M. 17947 (Gött.) Þat þu þe suink naght..wid greting praier for to gett þe oyle þat god in hight has sett. |
▪ III. greeting, ppl. a.1
(ˈgriːtɪŋ)
[f. greet v.1 + -ing2.]
That greets, salutes, etc.
| 1890 Daily News 3 Oct. 3/4 The greeting cheers from all parts of the hall. |
Hence ˈgreetingly adv.
| 1834 Tait's Mag. I. 339 It hails the lov'd child greetingly. |
▪ IV. greeting, ppl. a.2 Sc.
(ˈgriːtɪŋ)
[f. greet v.2 + -ing2.]
That ‘greets’ or weeps.
| 1588 A. King tr. Canisius' Catech. 39 With greitting eyes vaiting for ws in the coaste of the heavenlie countrie. 1676 W. Row Contn. Blair's Autobiog. x. (1848) 210 Away with him, he is a greeting devil. |