▪ I. liking, vbl. n.1
(ˈlaɪkɪŋ)
[OE. l{iacu}cung, f. l{iacu}cian: see like v.1 and -ing1.]
† 1. The fact of being to one's taste (cf. like v.1 1), or of being liked. Obs.
| c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. xli. 303 Ðætte hie for ðære licunga ðære heringe..ðe hie lufiᵹeað eac ᵹeðafiᵹen ða tælinge. c 1175 Paternoster 247 in Lamb. Hom. 69 On oðer wise ic habbe ifunde hu me mei in sunne bon ibunde. þet forme is to beon underling and þet oðer is liking. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 26 Þings were in desesse to him, þat now are in mikil leking. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 297 The greatest personages, helde Monkes, Friars, and Nonnes, in such veneration and liking, that [etc.]. 1579 Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 218/1 The man [must] exhort the woman, and the woman the man, to be out of liking with themselues before God. |
† 2. Pleasure, enjoyment; an instance of this. at liking: in a suitable position, at one's ease. ill liking: discomfort, unhappiness. Obs.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 110 Forte, wenden us urommard þe licunge þet flesches lustes askeð. c 1230 Hali Meid. 7 Habbeð mare delit þrin þen anie oðre habbeð ilikinge [= in likinge] of þe worlde. a 1300 Cursor M. 28080 In vayn glory haue i likyng. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 132 William þe Scottis kyng therfor was fulle blithe, Þat Henry had ille likyng. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 956 We lachen likinge y-now of þe lof[t] briddus. c 1350 Will. Palerne 2023 Sche miȝt lede hire lif in liking & murþe. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 226 Fredome mayss man to haiff liking. Ibid. iii. 560 Quhen men oucht at liking ar. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. cxcii. (1495) 730 This tree is not at lykyng in rough places and mountayns. a 1440 Sir Degrev. 831 Thane durste I saffly syng, Was never emporoure ne kyng More at hys lykyng. c 1470 Golagros & Gaw. 1065 The lordis on the tothir side for liking thay leugh. c 1491 Chast. Goddes Chyld. ii. 8 This likynge is more delectable to the body and saule than all the myrthe and likyng that all the worlde myghte gyue. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 80 b, And sought..for the delicacie of viandes: well was that man rewarded that could bryng any thyng of likyng or pleasure. |
† b. In bad sense, more fully flesh's liking or fleshly liking: Sensuality, sexual desire, lust. Obs.
| a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 189 Þi deaþ adeadi in me flehces licunge. a 1340 Hampole Psalter xiii. 1 All þe lust and lykynge of þaire flesch and þis warld. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 73 Vse lytel flesshly likyng. c 1430 Hymns Virg. 92/49 For likinge blindiþ many oon. 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 269 A man shall knowe when they fall to lyking and laying by this. a 1711 Ken Edmund Poet. Wks. 1721 II. 96 To Sensuality his Flesh propends, Propension up to Liking straight ascends. |
3. The bent of the will; what one wishes or prefers, (a person's) pleasure. Also pl. † of free liking: of free will. Now rare.
| c 1375 XI Pains Hell 147 in O.E. Misc. 215 Moch froyt þer was here face be-fore, To ete þer-of was here lykyng. c 1386 Chaucer Pard. Prol. 127 Youre lykyng is that I shal telle a tale. c 1400 Rom. Rose 1975, I wol ben hool at your devys For to fulfille your lyking. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 48 With þe helpe of god þay all shall be subgitz to þy likynges. c 1590 Greene Fr. Bacon x. (1630) F 3 b, I leaue thee to thine own liking. 1601 Shakes. All's Well iii. v. 60 The King had married him Against his liking. c 1630 Risdon Surv. Devon §12 (1810) 23 This I leave to the liking of others. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 290 Of all Men he is the least to follow his own Liking. 1859 Mill Liberty i. 15 No one, indeed, acknowledges to himself that his standard of judgment is his own liking. |
b. In phrases † at, to, (rarely after, in) one's liking: according to one's wish, to one's taste.
| 13.. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. (E.E.T.S.) 497/133 Þouh he be nouȝt at þi lykynge, Þe prest þat schal þy masse synge, Þerfore lette þou nouht. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxlvi. (1482) 311 He spared no thyng of his lustes ne desyres but accomplysshed them after his lykyng. 1551 Crowley Pleas. & Pain 165 You..spent all at your owne lykynge In wantones and banketynge. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 401/2 Finding a place to his liking, he esconsed himself in despite of the Spaniards. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 138 Liberty to dispose of thy-selfe to thine owne best liking. 1710 Steele Tatler No. 228 ¶7 A Gentleman, who would willingly marry, if he could find a Wife to his Liking. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery v. 41 Season with pepper and salt to your liking. 1869 Eadie Galatians 123 It might not be in all points to their perfect liking..but they could not set themselves against it. |
4. The condition of being fond of or not averse to (a person or thing); favourable regard; ‘fancy’ for or inclination to (some object).
| 1340 Ayenb. 23 Þe uifte boȝ of prede is ydele blisse þet is fole likinge of fole heryinge. c 1350 Will. Palerne 452 So gret liking & loue i haue þat lud to bi-hold. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 27 Lot..for lyking of drinke, Dude bi his douhtren þat þe deuel louede. 1570 Henry's Wallace viii. 1411 To tak ane lyking [the MS. has lak] and syne get na plesance, Sic lufe as that is nathing to avance. 1587 Harrison England ii. i. (1877) 1. 6 For nothing could be obteined from him, of which the Normans had no liking. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. xii. 13 She..did great liking sheowe, Great liking unto many, but true love to feowe. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. i. iii. 28 Is it possible..you should fall into so strong a liking with old Sir Roulands yongest sonne? 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 523 Afterward they grew out of liking of this vain custom. 1655 Digges Compl. Ambass. 50, I heare secretly that there is not the best liking between the two Queens. a 1716 South Serm. (1823) II. 8 Scarce any man passes to a liking of sin in others, but by first practising it himself. 1719 W. Wood Surv. Trade 271 For the improvement of their Manufactures, and..bringing the Europeans to the greater Liking of them. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 294 The Earl has taken a great Liking to him. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas iv. viii. ¶7 Though not dainty in her likings. 1825 Heber Journ. Upper Prov. India (1828) II. 377, I have no liking for all this train. 1832 Miss Wordsworth Loving & Liking in Wordsw. Poet. Wks. I. 251 Likings come, and pass away; 'Tis love that remains till our latest day. 1847–9 Helps Friends in C. (1851) I. 63, I have a lawyer's liking for the best evidence. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. xxxii. II. 313 Friendships begin with liking or gratitude. |
| attrib. 1701 Cibber Love makes Man Epil., And know, that while the liking Fit has seiz'd you, She cannot look, he write, too ill to please you. |
† b. Approval, consent. (See also good-liking 2.) Obs.
| 1607 Statutes in Hist. Wakefield Gram. Sch. (1892) 59 With the consent or likinge of the Scholemaster. |
c. on liking or upon liking: on approval or trial. Now rare in educated use.
| 1615 in Picton L'pool Munic. Rec. (1883) I. 190 This lycence to continue noe longer then untill Michaelmas..but upon lykeinge. 1685 Dryden Thren. August. iv, The Royal Soul..Came but a while on liking here. 1727 Gay Beggar's Op. i. viii. Are you really bound Wife or are you only upon liking? 1812 W. Taylor in Monthly Mag. XXXIII. 25 He did not stay..the entire month, which he was to pass on liking. 1834 Autobiog. Dissenting Minister 157 After spending a few months on liking, I was unanimously chosen. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. iv. iv. He [the waiter] is a very young man on liking, and we don't like him. |
† 5. An object liked, (one's) beloved. Obs.
| c 1450 Holland Howlat 496, I sall followe the in faith..my lyking thow art. a 1550 Christis Kirke Gr. xiv, The wyffis cam furth with cryis and clappis, Lo, quhair my lyking ligs! Quo thay. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 587 In the amorous Net Fast caught, they lik'd, and each his liking chose. |
† 6. Bodily condition, esp. good or healthy condition. Cf. good-liking 4. Obs.
| c 1320 Sir Tristr. 1279 So gode likeing he fand Þat hole he was and fere. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 46 Yf contrey⁓men in likyng hele endure. c 1440 Generydes 6760 All pale and wanne, owt of likeng he was. 1539 Taverner Erasm. Prov. (1552) 7 This ought not to seeme any marvayle..yf he were in better lykynge than hys horse. a 1568 R. Ascham Scholem. (Arb.) 131 If God do lend me..free laysure and libertie, with good likyng and a merrie heart. 1584 Cogan Haven Health i. (1612) 2 These..labors..do make a good state or liking of the body. 1590 Greene Never too Late B b, I have one sheepe in my fold that's quite out of liking. 1611, 1656 [see good-liking 4]. 1662 L. Mascall Gov. Cattle 16 Which will cause the beast to become lean and of ill liking. 1705 Lond. Gaz. No. 4145/4 Strayed or stolen.., a bay Mare.., in good Liking. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1749) I. 9 They have been observed to eat plentifully and not become fatter or in better liking. 1768–74 Tucker Lt. Nat. (1834) II. 616 To keep it [the child] plump in good liking. |
▪ II. † ˈliking, vbl. n.2
[f. like v.2 + -ing1.]
The condition of being like or likely. a. quasi-concr. Something that is like; a resemblance. b. Phr. in liking: likely to (do something).
| 1340 Ayenb. 47 Þe likinges [F. figures] and þe ymaginacions of zenne. 1599 Let. in Harington Nugæ Ant. 47, I am in liking to get Erasmus for your Entertainmente. |
▪ III. † liking, ppl. a.1 Obs.
Also 4–7 Sc. likand.
[f. like v.1 + -ing2.]
1. Pleasing, pleasant, agreeable, attractive. Of food: Dainty. Of the weather, wind, an opinion: Favourable. Const. till, to.
| 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 949 Summe þat longen to a lud of likinge smellus. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 9 And suth thyngis that ar likand Tyll mannys heryng ar plesand. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 237 Anon likynge wynd filled the sailles. 1401 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 31 In..delicious and liking feeding..freers passen lords. c 1470 Henry Wallace vi. 95 Him thow our threw out off his likand rest. 1513 Douglas æneis iv. xii. 15 O sweit habit, and likand bed, quod sche. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 72 b, The wynd to hym was likyng, wherby he sayled into Flaunders. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 244 He appointed hym and his fellowes to come and declare hys lykyng opinion touchyng the same. 1596 J. Norden Progr. Pietie (1847) 62 Grant that..I may watchfully avoid what thou loathest, howsoever liking it be unto me. 1610 Healey St. Aug. Citie of God xix. iii. (1620) 709 Making a liking vse of all. [a 1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary iii. i, Thou art mine pleasure, by dame Venus brent; So fresh thou art, and therewith so lycand.] |
2. ‘In condition’; healthy, plump; in a specified condition (e.g. well, ill liking). Of a soil: Rich.
| c 1325 Song of Yesterday 75 in E.E.P. (1862) 135 An hounde þat is likyng and Ioly. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 1564 Abouten it is gras springing, For moiste so thikke and wel lyking, That it ne may in winter dye. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 7 It semeþ þe devyl gedreþ siche lumpis of ȝonge men, fatte, and lykynge and ydyl. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 8963 Thow wer to fat, and to lykynge. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 40 Euill lykand was the King. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §48 It taketh mooste commonly the fattest and best lykynge. 1535 Coverdale Dan. i. 10, I am afrayed off my lorde the kynge,..lest he spye youre faces to be worse lykynge then the other spryngaldes of youre age. 1611 Bible Dan. i. 10. 1656 Heylin Surv. France 7 The Countrey of Normandie is enriched with a fat and liking soil. |
▪ IV. † ˈliking, ppl. a.2 Obs. rare
[f. like v.2 + -ing2.]
Likely, probable.
| 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xvii. (1623) 879 A liking report was brought to the towne, that Warwick had prepared foure thousand valiant men. |