▪ I. ˈroading, vbl. n.1
[f. road v.1]
1. Racing with teams upon the road.
| 1787 W. Marshall Rur. Econ. Norf. (1795) I. 44 The young men who took delight in the diversion of ‘roading’. |
2. a. The making or repairing of roads.
| 1883 Gresley Gloss. Coal-mining, Roading, repairing and maintaining roads. 1895 Daily News 21 Nov. 5/5 Instances of bad roading or lack of sanding. |
b. concr. A road surface. rare.
| 1857 J. E. Ritchie Night Side of London 5 The cost of this paved roading was 14 millions. |
3. Performance of a horse on the road.
| 1890 Atlantic Monthly Apr. 524/1 She accomplished forty-three miles in three hours and twenty-five minutes. This was great roading. |
▪ II. ˈroading, vbl. n.2
[var. of roding: see rode v.2]
The practice, on the part of certain birds, of flying in the evening. Also attrib.
| 1888 Encycl. Brit. XXIV. 651/1 During this season the male Woodcock performs at twilight flights of a remarkable kind... This characteristic flight is in some parts of England called ‘roading’. 1898 Wollocombe From Morn till Eve 246 It was roading time. We turned and cocked our guns. |