▪ I. fairing, (vbl.) n.1
(ˈfɛərɪŋ)
[f. fair n. + -ing1.]
1. A present given at or brought from a fair.
| 1574 Hellowes Gueuara's Fam. Ep. (1577) 86 The Gentle⁓women that did serue her [the Empresse]..would vse their libertie in asking fayrings. 1614 B. Jonson Barth. Fair Prol., The Maker..hopes, to night To giue you for a Fayring, true delight. 1661 Pepys Diary 31 Aug., To Bartholomew Faire..Mr. Pickering bought them some fairings. 1786 F. Burney Diary 8 Nov., Presenting her one of my fairings. 1827 Clare Sheph. Cal. 149 With kerchief full of fairings in her hand. 1883 Longm. Mag. Apr. 655 The lasses get their ‘fairing’ from the lads in gingerbread and nuts from the stalls. |
b. transf. A complimentary gift of any kind.
| 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 2 We shall be rich ere we depart, If fairings come thus plentifully in. 1668 Pepys Diary 17 Sept., I..did give her five guineas as a fairing. 1727 Mrs. Delany Life & Corr. I. 135 A jewel box which Mrs. Tillier desires you to accept as her fairing. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. xvii, Colin..gives her a fairing to put in her hair. 1826 Miss Mitford Village 2nd Ser. (1863) 439 To our little pet, Lizzy..she predicted a fairing. |
c. fig. to get, give (any one) his fairing: to get, give (him) his deserts.
| 1785 Burns Death & Dr. Hornbook xxx, Neist time we meet, I'll wad a groat, He's got his fairin'. 1818 Scott Old Mort. xxxvii ‘Mackay will pit him [Claverhouse] down..he'll gie him his fairing.’ 1823 Lockhart Reg. Dalton I. ii. iv. 262 ‘Ane o' them got his fairin.’ |
2. Cakes or sweets sold at fairs; esp. gingerbread nuts. Chiefly colloq.
| a 1774 Fergusson Hallowfair Poems (1845) 13 He'll..creish her loof Wi what will buy her fairin To chow that day. 1888 W. Somerset Word-bk. s.v., Do you like fairings or comforts best? |
3. ? nonce-use. Buying, etc., at a fair.
| 1887 Cornh. Mag. Mar. 251 The fairing was done with shivers. |
4. attrib. and Comb.
| 1593 Pass. Morrice I b, Honestie knowes what the fairing-monger will saye. 1790 F. Burney Diary Aug., I placed one of my fairing work-baskets..on a table. |
▪ II. fairing, vbl. n.2
(ˈfɛərɪŋ)
[f. fair v. 3 + -ing1.]
The action or result of making the lines of a vessel, aircraft, or motor vehicle suitable for its easy passage through water or air; the line or curvature so made, or the structure added for this purpose.
| a 1865 Smyth Sailor's Work-bk. (1867) 286 Fairing, sheering a ship in construction. Also, the draught of a ship. 1914 Aeronaut. Jrnl. Oct. 316 Fairing, a piece added to any structure to reduce its head resistance or drag. 1916 H. Barber Aeroplane Speaks 137 Fairing, usually made of thin sheet aluminium, wood, or a light construction of wood and fabric; and bent round detrimental surface in order to give it a ‘fair’ or ‘stream-like’ shape. 1927 Daily Tel. 6 Sept. 11/3 The fairing of the wings into the fuselage. 1930 Daily Express 23 May 11/5 The fairing piece at the extreme end of the tail, which performs no actual function in the operation of the airship, was slightly damaged. 1934 Flight 25 Jan. 78 e/1 The section on lines will..apply equally well to a set of ‘fairing lines’ for an ordinary fairing drawing. 1936 Times 19 Oct. 8/4 The car, which has graceful curves and fairings to reduce wind-noise, costs {pstlg}368. 1962 J. Glenn et al. in Into Orbit 244 Fairing, part of the structure of an aircraft or spacecraft which provides streamlining in order to reduce aerodynamic resistance. |
b. transf. (see quot. 1922); also used of the movement of animated figures in cinematography.
| 1922 Encycl. Brit. XXX. 21/1 In other countries cable has continued to be used, frequently duplicated, the cables lying one behind the other with a wood ‘fairing’ between them. 1959 [see fair v. 3]. |