▪ I. wearing, vbl. n.1
(ˈwɛərɪŋ)
[f. wear v.1 + -ing1.]
† 1. The fact or habit of being clothed in a particular way; kind or style of clothing; also concr. what a person wears or might wear. Obs.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 8 Gif heo hit ne bihat nout heo hit mai don þauh, & leten hwon heo wel wule, alse of mete & of drunch, fleschs forgon oþer visch,..of weriunge, of liggunge, of vres, of beoden. Ibid. 368 Mid festen, mid wechchen, mid disciplines, mid herd weriunge. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1521 Of bathe þer worldes gret outrage we se..In worldis havyng and beryng, In vayn apparail and in weryng. c 1400 Brut ccxx. (1906) 261 [He] disgisede him wiþ wonder ryche cloþes oute of al maner resoun boþe of shaping and of wering. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 137 Pamperyng or ouer⁓moche cherysshyng of our bodyes by soft lyenge, soft weryng, or moche fedyng. 1600 Holland Pliny viii. xlviii. I. 228 The waved water chamelot, was from the beginning esteemed the richest and bravest wearing. 1605 Shakes. Oth. iv. iii. 16 Giue me my nightly wearing, and adieu. a 1613 Overbury Wife, Characters, Milkmaid (1618) I 4 b, For though she be not arraied in the spoile of the Silke-worme, she is deckt in innocence, a far better wearing. 1621 Lady M. Wroth Urania 510 Hee perswaded his companion to put on his Wast-coate, and night-wearing, and walk into the garden. 1629 Gaule Holy Madn. 134 Another shape out, and another trim up their wearings. 1654 Gayton Pleas. Notes ii. iv. 48 He shifted his Velvet Truncks, which was his customary wearing. 1690 Locke Govt. i. i, Chains are but an ill wearing, how much Care soever hath been taken to file and polish them. |
b. pl. (See quot.)
| 1837 Patent 27 Nov. in Civil Engin. & Arch. Jrnl. I. 54/2 Certain Improvements for producing Ornamental Lace or Wearings. |
2. The action of carrying on the body (an article of dress, an ornament, or the like). † of one's wearing: forming part of one's wardrobe (obs.). Also fig.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1123 For ho schynes so schyr þat is of schap rounde,..& wax euer in þe worlde in weryng so olde, Ȝet þe perle payres not whyle ho in pyese lasttes. 1426 E.E. Wills (1882) 71, I woll þat..my preest haue..a gowne of my weryng. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour xxvii. 39 Seint Bernarde,..for his holy lyuing, and of weringe of the heyre,..was chose to be abbot of that place. 1482 Cely Papers (Camden) 103 My mother has gewyn to Myhellz wyfe a cremsyn goune of hyr wheryng. 1581 G. Pettie Guazzo's Civ. Conv. i. (1586) A 3 b, Such rare iewels are well worth the wearing. 1607 Shakes. Timon v. i. 146 Speciall Dignities, which vacant lye For thy best vse and wearing. 1704 Swift T. Tub ii. 54 With good wearing, they will last you fresh and sound as long as you live. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 43 ¶10 But a Fool of a colder Constitution would have..made Buff of his Skin, for the Wearing of the Conqueror. 1719 De Foe Crusoe ii. (Globe) 421, I desir'd that they might all take an equal Quantity of the Goods that were for wearing. 1818 Scott Br. Lamm. xxx, He rushed into the room with a willow branch in his hand, which he told her had arrived that instant from Germany for her special wearing. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vii. II. 182 The opposition, it seemed, wished..to make the crown of England not worth the wearing. |
b. attrib. in wearing apparel, wearing gear (arch.), articles of clothing collectively. † Formerly also in many other collocations with the senses ‘suitable or intended for wearing’, as wearing clothes, wearing garments, wearing gown, wearing jewels, wearing linen, wearing rapier.
Also † wearing plate, plate in actual household use (cf. wear v.1 2 b).
| 1418 E. E. Wills (1882) 32 Myne owne werynge clothes. 1498 in Somerset Med. Wills (1901) 365 All my weryng kercheff evenly to be departed betwene her and..Agnes Huyssh. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 204 He would of a custome diligently serche his robes, and al his wearyng geare, & saie [etc.]. 1575 Fleming Virg. Bucol. viii. 26 These wearing geere somtimes to me that faithles fellowe lefte. 1576 ― Panopl. Epist. 354 The sheepe..yeeldeth her woll, which is wouen and wrought to make vs wearing garmentes. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, i. iii. 88 The very trayne of her worst wearing Gowne, Was better worth then all my Fathers Lands. 1616 MS. Liber Depos. Archd. Colcestr. 94 His wife's wearing lynnen. 1617 in W. F. Shaw Mem. Eastry (1870) 227 Item all her weareinge apparell, xvijli. 1620 Inv. in Essex Rev. (1907) XVI. 206 His purs and waringe parell, ijli. 1661 in W. M. Sargent Maine Wills (1887) 3, I giue vnto Anthony Littlefejld all my weareing Cloaths. 1683 in J. Hull's Diaries (1857) 260 The s{supd} Judith Hull [the widow] shall have and enjoy out of the personal estate..one halfe part of all the wearing plate. 1685 in Verney Mem. (1907) II. 421 Bring along with you..yr Best Waring Things. 1688 Holme Armoury iv. xii. (Roxb.) 487/1 His owne weareing rapier carried by his servant. 1721 De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 72 Some wearing linen. 1740 C'tess of Hertford Corr. (1805) II. 29 Her wearing jewels are the finest and most various of any sovereign's now living. 1835 Dickens Sk. Boz, Pawnbroker's Shop, Wearing apparel of every description. 1900 H. Sutcliffe Shameless Wayne xiv, With blood on his wearing-gear and sorrow on his face. |
3. The condition or process of being continuously in wear or use. Chiefly in phrases with prep., as in († the) wearing, (the) worse for († the) wearing.
| 1546 J. Heywood Prov. (1867) 44 All thyng is the woors for the wearyng. 1581 G. Pettie Guazzo's Civ. Conv. i. (1586) 11 That the..Boote was made of such leather as would shrinke in the wearing. 1613 J. May Decl. Estate of Cloth 38 After a moneths wearing, it will looke like a souldiers coat which hath line sixe moneths out of garrison. 1697 Collier Ess. Mor. Subj. ii. (1703) 69 Friendship is one of those few things which are the better for the wearing. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 74 His hardest Tools are the worse for Wearing. 1711 Dissenting Teachers Addr. agst. Bill for building 50 New Churches 18 A Pulpit little worse for wearing to dispose off. 1724 Ramsay Widow 10 The Widow she's youthfu', and never ae Hair The war of the wearing. |
4. The action of wasting, damaging, or exhausting, or the process of being wasted, by continuous use or exposure. Also with away, down, out.
| 1473 Rental Bk. Cupar-Angus (1879) I. 177 For the defens of the said land for the weryng awa of watter als far as thar bundys rekys. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxiii. 31 Haill in everie circumstance, In forme, in mater, and substance, But wering, or consumptioun. 1523 Act 14 & 15 Hen. VIII c. 6 §2 Many other Comon wayes..be so depe and noyous by wearyng and Course of Water and other occasions, that [etc.]. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 17 b, To liuing a single lif is annexed..vtter decaiyng and wearyng out of the name. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, v. i. 89, I will deuise matter enough out of this Shallow, to keepe Prince Harry in continuall Laughter, the wearing out of sixe Fashions (which is foure Tearmes). 1711 Addison Spect. No. 10 ¶3 Such Writings as tend to the wearing out of Ignorance, Passion, and Prejudice. 1802 Playfair Illustr. Huttonian Theory 294 The thinnest part of that rock..has been perfectly defended by them from every sort of wearing and decay. 1853 Mrs. Gaskell Ruth xxix, The final and unmendable wearing-out of the parlour carpet, which there was no spare money to replace. 1855 W. H. Barlow in Phil. Trans. CXLV. 226 This arose from a slight wearing of the working parts of the measuring instrument. 1877 Huxley Physiogr. ix. 149 The great wearing down of land which must be effected by rain and rivers. 1883 Science II. 75/2 The wearing-away of the falls would injure navigation above. 1908 Animal Managem. (War Office) 183 This wearing out of a tired horse by a tired man. |
b. concr. in pl. Worn places, marks of wear.
| 1885 Lock Workshop Rec. Ser. iv. 313/1 If the pallets are worn, the wearings must be filed out. |
c. Wasting from disease: in quot. with away. (? Obs.) Hence dial. a wasting illness, consumption.
| 1654 Sir A. Johnston (Ld. Wariston) Diary (S.H.S.) II. 240 Hearing of my Lord Craighall his fayling and wearyng away, I went to him. 1824 Carr Craven Gloss., Wearing, consumption. 1876 Mr. Gray & his Neighbours I. 116, I do believe one on 'em is going into a wearin'. |
d. Wearying or exhausting effect.
| 1845 A. M. Hall Whiteboy I. ix. 140 The woe and wearing of weeks [of sickness] sobered and softened her. |
† 5. Manner in which a cloth, etc. wears (well or badly); degree of resistance to the effects of wear. Also fig., degree in which a person continues to merit approval; also, degree of resistance to the effects of time. Obs. rare.
| 1549 Latimer 2nd Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 59 Salomon sayed to hym [sc. Adonias]: Gette the into thy house, bilyke he meante to warde, and ther to se hys wearynge, as if he shoulde saye, shewe thyselfe wythoute gall of ambition, to be a quiet subiecte, and I wyll pardon the for thys tyme. But I wyll se the wearynge of the. 1566 A. Edwards in Hakluyt Voy. (1599) I. 358 They talke much of London clothes, and they that know the wearing, are desirous of them before the cloth of the womens making, for they find it nothing durable. 1740 Cibber Apol. 177 In the Wearing of her Person, she was particularly fortunate; her Figure was always improving, to her Thirty-sixth Year. |
6. Passing, elapsing (of a period of time). rare.
| 1876 Morris Sigurd i. 30 Now again in a half month's wearing goes Signy into the wild. 1895 Funk's Stand. Dict., Wearing..3. Diminution or passing away; as, the wearing of the season. 1905 A. T. Sheppard Red Cravat iii. ii. 238 Before the wearing of a moon, [he] was back again. |
▪ II. ˈwearing, vbl. n.2 Naut.
[f. wear v.2 + -ing1.]
The action of turning a vessel's stern to windward: opposed to tacking. Also attrib.
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1780), Wearing. See the article Veering. 1840 R. H. Dana Bef. Mast xxiii, A regular tacking and wearing bill was made out. |
▪ III. wearing, ppl. a.
(ˈwɛərɪŋ)
[f. wear v.1 + -ing2.]
1. Exhausting, tiring; enfeebling by continued strain or irritation. Also wearing-out.
| 1811 Lady Granville Lett. (1894) I. 20, I have been prevented writing by most wearing nervous headaches. 1815 Chalmers in Hanna Life (1851) II. 18 A heartless, hard driving, distracting, and wearing out life among the bustle of unministerial work. 1824 S. E. Ferrier Inher. xl, She..remarked, what a wearing-out thing it [reading aloud] was for the reader. 1837 Carlyle New Lett. (1904) I. 55 My toil is great; but it is not a wearing toil, as that of writing is. 1859 J. Bright Sp. India 1 Aug. (1876) 50 This wearing exasperating question of how money is to be got. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. iii. xvi, You see the occupations of the day are sometimes a little wearing. 1876 Hardy Ethelberta xx, She began to know how wearing were miserable days, and how much more wearing were miserable nights. 1887 Murray's Mag. Aug. 267 It was in many respects a wearing life. |
2. That gradually destroys, diminishes, or impairs by continued use or attrition.
| 1859 R. Hunt Guide Mus. Pract. Geol. (ed. 2) 292 The specimens exhibited show the wearing and grinding force of the modern glaciers. 1876 Geo. Eliot Dan. Der. xxxv, This cloister was built of harder stone than the church, and had been in greater safety from the wearing weather. 1903 W. Chrystal Kingd. Kippen 146 All the lower ground is covered with sheets of boulder clay, the material resulting from the wearing action of the ice. |
3. That is undergoing wear, diminution, or impairment by continued use or attrition. wearing course (Highway Engin.) (see quot. 1940).
| 1908 Animal Managem. (War Office) 36 The surface [of the tooth] which bites on the food or its fellow in the opposite jaw is the table, or wearing surface. 1940 Gloss. Highway Engin. Terms (B.S.I.) 28 Wearing course, the layer of material applied to form the carriage⁓way. 1977 Bitumen (Shell Internat. Petroleum Co.) 2/4 The traffic load is carried mainly by the base layer, while the wearing course provides a waterproof non-skid cover which resists traffic wear. |
Hence ˈwearingly adv.
| 1870 Public Opinion 6 Aug. 170 It is the trivial, every-day suffering..that is most wearingly, if not most keenly, felt. |