† ˈeavesing Obs.
Forms: 1 oefsung, efesung, 5 evesung, 4–6 evyss-, evys-, evesyng, -ing, 6 eusing, eavesinge. See also easing n.2
[repr. OE. efesung, vbl. n. f. efes-ian, evese v.; in sense 2 directly f. eaves.]
† 1. The action of trimming the edges of anything; clipping, polling, shearing. Also concr. What is cut off: the clippings of hair. Obs.
| a 800 Corpus Gloss. 474 Circinatio, oefsung. c 1050 Ags. Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 364 Circinnatio, efesung. a 1225 Ancr. R. 398 Absalomes schene white, þet ase oft ase me euesede him me solde his euesunge vor two hundred sicles. |
2. The eaves of a house or stack; formerly also used for ‘roof’, and hence transf. for ‘dwelling’.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 142 Þe niht fuel iðen euesunge bitocneð recluses, þet wunieð..under chirche euesunge. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xx. 193 As we may seo a wynter, Isykles in euesynges · thorgh hete of þe sonne Melteþ in a mynt-while · to myst and to water. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 144 Evese, or evesynge of a howse. 1547 Salesbury Welsh Dict., Bargawt tuy, house eusing. 1572 Schole house Wom. 912 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 140 King Salomon..A woman dooth assimilate Unto a dropping euesing guise, Distilling down after rain late. 1572 J. Bossewell Armorie ii. 88 A righte little parte of water..is called Gutta, when it..hangeth on eavesinges. |