▪ I. saving, vbl. n.
(ˈseɪvɪŋ)
[f. save v. + -ing1.]
1. The action of the verb save; an instance of this. a. The action of rescuing or protecting; † a deliverance.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 12775 Wijt we þan for quat resun For sauueing of vr dampnacioun, Þat he now suilk baptiszing mass? a 1340 Hampole Psalter xi. 6 Safynge of rightwis and dampnynge of wickid. c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. vi. (1885) 123 For the repressynge off rovers, sauynge off owre marchauntes, owre ffishers, and the dwellers vppon owre costes. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xxxix. 53 Syr Henry wolde nat let his wepon go for sauyng of his honour. 1571 Golding Calvin on Ps. xviii. 50 This election was myghtely ratifyed by continewall successe of savinges. 1611 Bible Heb. xi. 7 Noah..prepared an Arke to the sauing of his house. 1676 Molloy De Jure Marit. ii. v. (1688) 240 If the Ship perishes only, and the Goods are safe, in that case the Goods ought to pay a proportion of a fifth or tenth penny, according to the easie or difficult winning or saving of the said Goods. 1848 Clough Amours de Voy. i. 21 All the foolish destructions, and all the sillier savings. |
b. The action of saving or economizing in expenditure (of money, time, labour, etc.); an instance of this, a reduction in expenditure.
| 1551 Cal. Anc. Rec. Dublin (1889) 426 For the..sawing of expenssis to the citizens. 1640 G. Herbert Jacula Prud. 119 No Alchymy to saving. 1731–8 Swift Pol. Conversat. ii. Wks. 1751 XII. 259 Lord Smart. Come, hang Saving! bring us up a Halfp'orth of Cheese. 1772 C. Hutton Bridges 5 Fewer arches..will produce great savings in the expence. 1832 H. Martineau Life in Wilds vi. 77 A great saving of time and labour. 1848 Mill Pol. Econ. i. v. §5 (1876) 45 Saving, in short, enriches, and spending impoverishes. 1854 Ronalds & Richardson Chem. Technol. (ed. 2) I. 257 The saving of fuel is much greater when turf and wood are employed. 1883 Law Rep. 11 Q.B. Div. 569 The object of the society being the encouragement of saving. |
c. In games: cf. save v. 21 c.
| 1889 Field 26 Jan. 123/1 It was only the brilliant saving of Holmes, and the sound defence of the backs generally, that averted two or three scores. |
2. concr. A sum of money saved; chiefly pl. sums of money saved from time to time (by the exercise of economy) and put by or hoarded up.
| 1737 Gentl. Mag. VII. 656/2 If he could save 500 or 1000l. a Year out of his Estate, he would certainly apply that Saving towards discharging his small Debts. 1786 A. M. Bennett Juvenile Indiscr. I. 215 My hard savings and earnings. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas v. i. ¶62 More than half my savings were laid out on repairs. 1824 Miss Mitford Village Ser. i. 239 She had three or four hundred pounds to bequeath, partly her own savings, and partly a legacy from a distant relative. 1888 Bryce Amer. Commw. ii. xliii. II. 132 The working man who puts his savings into the house he lives in. |
b. In the navy: (see quot. 1815).
| 1815 Falconer's Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), Savings of Provisions, implies the bread, wine, spirits, beef, pork, butter and cheese, which have been saved by the different persons or messes in any of his Majesty's ships, from the established allowance of those species; and for which the purser pays them, at the expiration of one, two, or three months at furthest, agreeable to the credit prices stated in his instructions. 1901 Westm. Gaz. 28 Aug. 8/2 The Committee dwells upon the difficulty of framing an ideal ration so long as canteens and the ‘savings’ system exist. |
3. A salvo, reservation, saving clause. Now only in Law.
| 1477 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 171/1 All Offices, Fees, Rents and Annuitees..other than Rents services, be in no wise comprised or conteyned in this saving. 1542–3 Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII, c. 5 §9 The sauinges reseruinges and prouisions..of the saide former act. 1765 Blackstone Comm. I. 367 Therein the tenant swore to bear faith to his sovereign lord, in opposition to all men, without any saving or exception. 1875 Digby Real Prop. viii. (1876) 343 The Statute of Uses contained a saving in favour of wills made before the first day of May, 1536. 1884 Selborne in Law Times Rep. L. 315/1 The savings from a repealing clause would not apply to any express antecedent provision of the Act inconsistent with them. |
4. attrib. and Comb.: Now usu. with pl. savings: † saving bank: see savings bank; † saving-box, a money-box for savings; savings account, a deposit account; savings and loan U.S., used attrib. to designate a co-operative association which operates in the manner of a building society, though now offering additional services, as loans for purchases other than houses, and the issue of cheques to account-holders; also absol.; savings book, a book in which an official record is kept of sums deposited and withdrawn by the holder and of interest accrued; savings-box = saving-box; saving(s institution = savings bank; † (war) savings certificate, introduced February 1916, renamed 1920, (national) savings certificate, a certificate declaring that the holder has invested a small sum in government funds, encashable at any time with accrued interest, and usually maturing after five or ten years. Cf. savings bank.
| 1691 D'Emilianne's Frauds Rom. Monks 151, I have since understood, that all Tradesmen in Italy do each of them keep a *Saving-box, into which they put what Mony they can spare during the whole Year in order to their going in Pilgrimage. |
| 1830 J. T. Pratt Hist. Savings Banks p. vij, The imperious necessity of *Saving Institutions for the industrious Poor. |
| 1911 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 29 Apr. 8/6 Encourage your boy to save by opening a *savings account for him. 1978 S. Sheldon Bloodline xxxix. 350 A London savings account with a balance of twenty-five thousand pounds. 1978 Washington Post 16 Feb. f5/4 (Advt.), You earn a high 6% on regular savings accounts. 1980 Travel & the TSB (Trustee Savings Bank Central Board), You'll need to show your Savings Account passbook and some identification. |
| [1877 Acts & Resolves Gen. Court Mass. ccxxiv. 613 The words ‘coöperative saving fund and loan association’ shall form a part of the name. 1882 Chicago Business Directory 86/1 Union Savings, Loan & Building Assn.] 1884 Lakeside (Chicago) Ann. Directory of Business 1884–5 1489/1 Sharpshooters' Building, *Savings and Loan Association. 1887 Laws of State of N.Y. dlvi. 720 All associations formed under the provisions hereof shall be known as co-operative savings and loan associations; and the name of every association, so formed, shall contain as a part thereof the words Co-operative Savings and Loan Association. 1921 Proc. 34th Ann. Convention N.Y. State League of Savings & Loan Assoc. 7 They believe in the State organization of savings and loan associations. 1962 J. H. Ewalt Business Reborn i. 3 The typical predepression association [was] known more often as a building and loan than as a savings and loan. 1975 New Yorker 5 May 98/3 The Gibraltar Savings Association, of Houston, which is a subsidiary of the Imperial Corporation of America, a holding company that owns a number of savings-and-loan companies in four of the Western states. 1936 N. Streatfeild Ballet Shoes xv. 232, I was quite ashamed of your *savings book...I care..that you have a nice lot saved for when you are grown up. 1977 ‘J. Fraser’ Hearts Ease in Death ix. 103 The proprietor..was standing beside the Post Office counter when Aveyard came in, pushing a savings book..through the grille. |
| c 1863 T. Taylor Ticket-of-Leave Man ii. 32 I've put away a shilling every week out of my savings... It's all here. (Goes to table, and..puts a *savings-box into his hand.) 1922 Joyce Ulysses 30 Three, Mr Deasy said, turning his little savingsbox about in his hand. 1978 Church Times 27 Jan. 14/1 (heading) Savings box for Lent. |
| 1916 Times 19 Feb. 5/1 The new War *Savings Certificates, which can be bought from today for 15s. 6d. each at any money-order office. 1919 Saving 3 Dec. 140/2 Leyton school children have bought Savings Certificates to the value of over {pstlg}48,000. 1920 Act 10 & 11 Geo. V c. 12 (title) An Act..to extend to National Savings Certificates the enactments relating to War Savings Certificates. 1927 W. Deeping Doomsday xix. 209 Seventy-five pounds in Savings Certificates. 1932, 1941 [see National Savings Certificate s.v. national a. 5]. 1961 E. S. Turner Phoney War x. 131 If I buy three Savings Certificates at 15s. each the State will have to pay me interest and eventually repay my capital. 1978 F. Maclean Take Nine Spies vii. 235 Into his Foreign Office black leather briefcase..he crammed nearly {pstlg}300 in notes and a bundle of Savings Certificates. |
| 1832 Encycl. Amer. XI. 216/2 *Savings Institutions, or, as they are often called Savings Banks. |
▪ II. saving, ppl. a.
(ˈseɪvɪŋ)
[f. save v. + -ing2.]
1. a. That delivers, rescues or preserves from peril; that protects or guards from anything undesirable.
| 1535 Coverdale Ps. xii[i.] 5 My hert is ioyfull in thy sauynge health. 1692 R. L'Estrange Fables xxix. 29 There's No Living however without Law: and there's No Help for't in many Cases, if the Saving Equity be Over-rul'd by the Killing Letter of it. 1718 G. Sewell Proclam. Cupid 15 Woman.. A Guardian Angel, and a saving Saint. 1804 Wordsw. Vaudracour & Julia 194 The silver shower, whose reckless burthen weighs Too heavily upon the lily's head, Oft leaves a saving moisture at its root. 1885–94 R. Bridges Eros & Psyche June xvi, And with that lie the wounded man they slew, Hiding the saving truth which well they knew. |
b. saving piece: a piece of wood to prevent injury to the machine in the process of cutting.
| 1839 Ure Dict. Arts, etc. 160 [Machine for cutting the edges of books, banknotes, &c.]. Upon this latter board is placed the ‘material to be cut’, with a saving piece between it. |
2. Theol. That delivers from sin and eternal death by the power of God's grace.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 8097 Sceu vs þe sauuand tre, sir king. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lx. §2 That they..might..obteine as well that sauing grace of imputation which taketh away all former giltines. 1671 Milton P.R. 474 But to guide Nations in the way of truth By saving Doctrine. a 1711 Ken Hymns Festiv. Poet. Wks. 1721 I. 309 May I from his own Writings learn His Love, and Saving-Truths discern. 1712 Pope Messiah 107 But fix'd his word, his saving pow'r remains. 1732 Berkeley Alciphr. vii. §11 That notion of a saving faith which is required in a Christian. 1809–10 Coleridge Friend (1865) 207 Good works may exist without saving principles..; but saving principles..never can exist without good works. |
3. gen. That delivers from moral or intellectual error; also, of a quality, ‘redeeming’, exempting from unqualified condemnation or censure. Often as a direct transference from sense 2. Now freq. in phr. saving grace.
| 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, v. ii. 217 If euer thou beest mine, Kate, as I haue a sauing Faith within me tells me thou shalt. 1735 Pope Prol. Sat. 40 And drop at last, but in unwilling ears, This saving counsel, ‘Keep your piece nine years’. 1852 Tennyson Ode Wellington iv, Foremost captain of his time, Rich in saving common-sense. 1865 M. Arnold Ess. Crit. ix. (1875) 373 The obedience demanded by theology and the knowledge demanded by philosophy are alike saving. 1902 E. Banks Newspaper Girl 210, I am not, I believe, without a saving sense of humour. 1910 W. G. Collingwood Dutch Agnes 168 She plied me with questions until I was very nearly tormented into confession. But I had the saving grace, I trust, to remember John Bell's adage of Vir sapit qui pauca loquitur. 1932 J. B. Priestley Self-Selected Ess. 282 Here, in its plain lack of ideas, is the saving grace of this dull company. 1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day viii. 170 Tchehov..has indeed said, but with all the saving grace of his felicitous compassion, that we are not put on the earth to be happy. 1978 Lancashire Life Oct. 36/1 In all the shouting, the bitter recriminations, there was the saving grace of native good humour. |
4. Accustomed to save, hoard up, or economize; avoiding unnecessary expenses; tending to reduce expenses; parsimonious, economical.
| 1581 G. Pettie Guazzo's Civ. Conv. ii. (1586) 88 b, If you will haue riches to be a help to Gentrie, it shall behooue a man rather to bee sauing, that he may be able to keepe himselfe rich. 1606 Chapman Mons. D'Olive i. i, Indeed that's the savingst way. 1625 Bacon Ess., Expense (Arb.) 53 A Man had need, if he be Plentifull, in some kinde of Expence, to be as Sauing againe, in some other. As if he be Plentifull in Diet, to be Sauing in Apparell. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull i. x, Not but that she lov'd Mony, for she was of a saving Temper. 1729 Swift Direct. Serv., Butler Wks. 1751 XIV. 26 Be saving of your Candles. 1771 Luckombe Hist. Print. 225 A saving way, similar to this, was..from three sets of Punches..to cast six different Bodies of Letter. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xi, Mrs. Crawley was a saving woman and knew the price of port wine. |
† 5. ‘Not turning to loss, though not gainful’ (J.); neither winning nor losing. Obs.
| 1614 ? Breton I would & would not lxxiii, When weather-beaten Sailes, with winde, & raine, Scarce make a Sauing-Voyage home againe. 1632 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 478 The greate plentie of corne that remaines uppon their handes, and which they cannot utter at any saveing price. 1645 Wither Vox Pacif. 94 A likely means, to get a saving-game. 1709 Pope Let. Wycherley 20 May Lett. (1735) I. 40, I can be content with a bare saving Game, without being thought an eminent Hand. 1713 Addison Guard. No. 97 ¶3 Silvio..was resolved to make a saving bargain of it. 1765 Museum Rust. IV. 174, I have no great expectations from this plantation, though, I fancy, it will be a saving crop. 1826 Scott Mal. Malagr. iii, A country, where industry and skill can but play a saving game, at best, against national disadvantages. 1828–32 Webster (with example: ‘the ship has made a saving voyage’). |
6. Making a reservation; furnishing a proviso.
| 1700 Tyrrell Hist. Eng. II. 853 With a Saving Clause, that it should not be drawn into Example. 1838 Dickens Nich. Nick. I, ‘Will you prevent me?’ asked Sir Mulberry, with a laugh. ‘Ye-es, if I can;’ returned the other, promptly. ‘A very proper saving clause, that last’, said Sir Mulberry; ‘and one you stand in need of’. 1855 Browning Before 32 Now, enough of your chicane of prudent pauses, Sage provisos, sub-intents, and saving-clauses. |
▪ III. saving, prep. and conj.
(ˈseɪvɪŋ)
[absol. use of the pr. pple. of save v. Cf. excepting.]
A. prep.
1. Excepting, except; = save prep. 1.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1980 No man myghte gladen Theseus Sauynge his olde fader Egeus. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 139 His guidis wer all tane fro hym safeyng a mantill. 1513 Douglas æneis i. Prol. 155 The thre first bukis he hes ourhippit quyte, Salfand ane little twiching Polidorus, And the tempest sent furth be Eolus. 1569 Reg. Privy Council Scot. Ser. i. II. 4 Sauffing suche as ar attaynted. 1650 Trapp Comm. Exod. v. 4 Anie thing seem's due work to a carnal minde saving God's service. 1808 Southey Lett. (1856) II. 115 Saving Joanna Baillie, we had no very interesting people this season. 1887 Saintsbury Hist. Elizab. Lit. viii. (1890) 302 There is no complete collection even of the poems, saving a privately printed one. |
† b. all saving but, ne saving but: excepting only. Obs.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 3707 A lande, as þe buke tellis, a large & a noble, All sauand bot serpentis & oþire sere bestis. Ibid. 4037 Sen at we Ioy nouthire gemmes, ne Iuwels in cofirs, Pelour, pirre, ne perle, ne na proude wedis, Ne sauand bot to sustene with oure awen sary craftis. |
† c. With pers. pron. in the nominative. Obs.
| 1526 Tindale Rev. ii. 17 And in the stone a newe name wrytten, which no man knoweth, savinge he that receaveth hit. [So 1611.] 1588 Parke tr. Mendoza's Hist. China 254 Al their people [were] cast away, sauing they, who escaped by vsing great diligence. 1594 Spenser Amoretti xxxv. 14 All this worlds glory seemeth vayne to me, And all their showes but shadowes, saving she. |
† d. = but for; cf. save prep. 1 d. Obs.
| 1540 Aberd. Reg. (1844) I. 173 And to deliuer thair schip agane, with hir pertinentis, safand awentour of see, to the saidis Thomas and Robert. |
2. Without prejudice or offence to. saving (one's) reverence: see reverence n. 5 b.
| c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 522 And finally he dooth al his labour As he best myghte sauynge his honour To haste hem fro the mete in subtil wyse. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VIII. 79 Savynge his owne worschippe [L. salvo honore suo]. c 1400 [see reverence n. 5 b]. c 1400 Destr. Troy 7587 Therfore, sothely me semeth, sauyng your wille, Hit is bettur þis bold kyng in the burgh hold. 1530 Tindale Answ. More's Dial. Wks. (1573) 253/2 When we say..I be⁓shrew him sauing my charitie, there we take it for patience. 1562 Winȝet Cert. Tractates i. (S.T.S.) I. 9 And zow (saifing zour dew honoris we speik). 1577 Fulke Confut. Purg. 382 But sauing his wisedome, he must geue vs leaue to aunswere for our selues. 1596 Harington Metam. Ajax Answ. Let., Euen so I must write in this discourse, some time indeede as homely (sauing your worship) as you shall lightly see. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. ii. i. 71 Sauing your tale Petruchio, I pray let vs that are poore petitioners speake too? 1607 Norden Surv. Dial. i. 15 Sauing your tale, Sir, we poore Country-men doe not thinke it good to haue our Lands plotted out. 1611 Beaum. & Fl. Knt. Burn. Pestle ii. ii, You lookt so grim, and, as I may say it, saving your presence, more like a Giant than a mortal man. 1837 Hallam Lit. Eur. i. iii. §96 His own opinions, saving the authority of the church, he was willing to defend. 1907 Eliz. Robins Convert ii. 24 There's nothing I should quite so much hate talking about as politics—saving your presence. |
b. saving correction [= F. sauf correction]: subject to correction; if I am not mistaken. rare.
| 1830 A. W. Fonblanque Eng. under 7 Administr. (1837) II. 65 It seems to me, saving correction, that this does not concern us. |
† 3. With the reservation of. Obs.
| 1477 Exch. Rolls Scotl. VIII. 403 note, To be haldin..to the said Johne and Agnes..saulfing alanerly to ws and oure successouris the cariage of samekl of the saidis landis as the said Johne and Agnes occupiis [etc.]. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 43 Saifeand alwise the service to the other over-lord, for the lands haldin of him. |
† 4. In default of, for lack of. Obs. rare.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 1126, I will say for myself, sauyng a bettur, As me thinkes full throly with-outyn threp more. |
B. conj.
1. = except, save conjs. a. With clause introduced by that. Also, † with ellipsis of that.
| 1535 Coverdale Eccl. v. 12 And what pleasure more hath he that possesseth them, sauynge that he maye loke vpon them with his eyes? 1578 Lyte Dodoens i. iii. 8 The wilde kinde of Buglosse is like to the small Buglosses..sauing the leaues be rougher, smaller, and narrower. 1600 J. Pory tr. Leo's Africa vi. 269 The flesh..tasteth not much vnlike to the flesh of a dunghill-cocke, sauing that it is more tough. 1720 Mrs. Manley Power of Love i. 40 The Count of Brian{cced}on's Affairs seemed to keep the same Situations, saving his Love more and more increased, as his Hopes abated. |
b. With advb. phrase. Also (rarely) saving for = but for, except as regards.
| 1473 Rental Bk. Cupar-Angus (1879) I. 168 Wilzam beand alegyt and fre of al aucht and wunt seruys, savand gyfe in tyme of harueyst we gader our tendis that he supple and help efter as we neyd. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cclxviii. 397 The duke of Lancastre..thought to haue gone and dyned in the frenchmens lodgynges (sauynge for the fyre and smoke that they had made wolde not suffre him). 1538 Cranmer in St. Papers Hen. VIII, I. 590 To graunte hensforth none other lycence to any other printer saving to theym, for the printyng of the said Bible. 1550 Crowley Last Trump. 1218 Delite in nothyng sauinge in doynge thy duty. 1611 Bible Matt. v. 32 Whosoeuer shall put away his wife, sauing for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Suff. (1662) iii. 54 Though the general breadth be but twenty [miles], saving by the Sea-side. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop i, Saving in the country I seldom go out until after dark. 1877 Swinburne Note C. Brontë 54 Saving for her ‘plentiful lack’ of inborn baby-worship. |
† 2. Provided that. Obs.
| 1592–3 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. iii. IV. 111 The which Clergie government they would have to be exempted from the temporall government, saving they speake not agaynst the Prynces government towching the supremacye. |