▪ I. ˈloving, vbl. n.1 Now rare.
[f. love v.1 + -ing1.]
The action of the vb. love1.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints iii. (St. Andrew) 766 Fore, criste,..I ȝarne our althinge, to be and dwel in þi lovynge. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 544 For she taughte al the craft of fyn louinge. c 1400 Cursor M. 27746 (Cott. Galba) Wreth..of gude lufing it brekes þe band. 1538 Elyot Dict. Addit., Amatio, a louynge. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. ii. vii. 181 Most frendship is fayning; most Louing, meere folly. 1633 P. Fletcher Poet. Misc. 79 What fool commends a stone for never moving?.. Cease then, fond men, to blaze your constant loving. 1855 Browning One Word More v, Dante..Hated wickedness that hinders loving. 1885–94 R. Bridges Eros & Psyche May xxii, This was the lover she had lack'd, and she, Loving his loving, was his willing bride. |
▪ II. † ˈloving, vbl. n.2 Obs.
[f. love v.2 + -ing1.]
Praise, laudation; pl., praises, songs of praise.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 13245 Iesus þat well wist..Quarfor sant ion was don o lijf; To þe Iues..In his louing he made sermon. a 1300 E.E. Psalter ix. 15 Þat I schewe forth to sprede Þine loueynges euerilkone. 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 283 Now demys, quhethir mair lovyng Suld Tedeus haf, or the king! c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 51 He þat gyues his good to hem þat hauys no myster, he purchases no louynge þerof. 1476 Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1869) I. 33 For the honour and loving of Gode Almichty. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 1 To gyue therfore synguler louynges & thankes. 1533 Gau Richt Vay (1888) 13 Thay that desiris lowine or vane gloir. 1539 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) VI. 83, I..beinge of holl and perfite mynde..lovinge be to God. 1590 A. Hume Hymns ii. 32 The maiestie of God was praisd with louings loud on hight. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. II. x. 343 He did the legacie and office..with sik lofeng and comment. 1721 Bailey, Lovingis, praises, Scotch. |
▪ III. loving, ppl. a.
(ˈlʌvɪŋ)
[f. love v.1 + -ing2.]
1. a. That loves; affectionate.
In 16th c. ‘your loving friend’ was an ordinary form of subscription for letters. ‘Our loving subjects’ has at various times been a usual phrase in royal proclamations.
| c 1000 ælfric Gram. vi. (Z.) 10 Hic amans uir, þes lufienda wer;..hoc amans mancipium, þes lufienda þeowa man. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 185 Ler to loue þe..þe louende louerd. 1320 Cast. Love 290 And foure dowghtryne hede this kyng, And to uche he wes lovyng. 1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 7 Thaim that till hym luffand wer, Or kyn, or freynd. c 1460 Towneley Myst. iv. 102 Now, who would not be glad that had A child so lufand as thou art? c 1491 Chast. Goddes Chyld. 44 It is yeuen us and sende us fro our louyng fader. 1513 More in Grafton Chron. (1568) II. 781 A lovyng man and passyng well beloved. 1529 ― Let. Wks. 1419/2 At Woodestok..by the hand of Your louing husbande Thomas More knight. 1568 Grafton Chron. I. 82 They were loving and kinde to him, and he to them. 1741 Richardson Pamela II. 330 They are the honestest, the loveingest, and the most conscientious Couple breatheing. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas v. i. ¶11 They got to be as loving as turtles. 1835 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xvi. III. 723 He brought that force only for the defence of his person and for the protection of his loving subjects. 1866 J. H. Newman Gerontius §1 O loving friends, your prayers! Ibid., Help, loving Lord! Thou my sole Refuge, Thou. |
† b. absol. A lover; one who loves. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 14313 Lauerd, o selcut þat es slei, Þi lufand þus, qui let þou dei? c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. (1866) 3 Fyllys þe luffande of gastely joye. c 1375 Cursor M. 14597 (Fairf.) Haue I na tome þidder to fare for na wele louande haue I þare. |
c. transf. Tending to be closely attached, clinging, adhesive. dial.
| 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 148 By this meanes the strawe is made lovinger, and is allsoe kept from growinge on the howses. [Common in mod. dialects: see Eng. Dial. Dict.] |
2. Of words, actions, etc.: Manifesting love; proceeding from love. Hence occas. of persons with respect to their demeanour or conduct (const. to).
| c 1450 Myrc 1697 Louynge serues and godely speche, Agayn enuye ys helpe and leche. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xxvii. (Percy Soc.) 119 Her lovynge countenaunce so hyghe dyd appere, That it me ravyshed. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 39 They continue that louing custome [widow burning] deuoutly to this day. 18.. Tennyson Early Spring i, Once more the Heavenly Power..domes the red-plow'd hills With loving blue. 1862 Lytton Str. Story II. 177 Faber's loving account of little Amy. 1868 Browning Ring & Bk. iii. 1303 His fingers pushed their loving way Through curl on curl. 1894 J. T. Fowler Adamnan Introd. 54 He was held in most loving remembrance. |
3. Preceded by a n., in various comb., as fun-loving, home-loving, money-loving, pleasure-loving.
| 1726 Swift Gulliver, Lament. Glumdal. 33 That Money-loving Boy To some Lord's Daughter sold the living Toy. 1838 Eliza Cook Old Dobbin xi, We fun-loving urchins would group by his side. 1871 S. B. James Duty & Doctrine 192 A pushing, eager, pleasure-loving, money-loving age! 1902 Westm. Gaz. 3 June 1/2 The Boer is, above all things, a home-loving man. |
4. Comb., as loving-heartedness; loving-hearted, loving-kind, loving-kindly adjs.
| 1903 Hardy Dynasts I. i. vi. 33 In its early, loving-kindly days Of gracious purpose. 1909 Westm. Gaz. 27 Feb. 4/3 The loving-hearted but hot-tempered musician who was head of the Conservatoire at Naples. 1909 R. Brooke Coll. Poems (1918) 99 Quiet and strange, and loving-kind, you sleep. 1926 Contemp. Rev. Feb. 226 It may have been the sirocco, which never makes for loving-heartedness. 1960 Clergy Rev. Jan. 14 More's way, detached, peaceful and loving-kind, must have set him dreaming. |