Obs. [as prec. + -ING1.]
1. The carrying away of booty, plundering of an enemy; marauding, freebooting, brigandage.
1598. Florio, Gualda, a bootehaling [1611 bootie-haling], a freebooting. Ibid. (1603), Montaigne, II. xxxi. (1632), 401. Returning from forage or boot-haling.
1657. Trapp, Comm. Ps. lxxxvi. 1. What I can get by boot-haling from the Lords enemies.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Trav., 92. The Wars of the Mingrelians, and their Neighbours, are indeed but meer Incursions, and Boots-Halings.
2. The proceeds of marauding; booty.
1622. F. Markham, Decades Warre, I. v. § 2. His Conscience must tie him, not Spoyle, or Boot-haling.
