[-ING1.]
1. The action or an act of the vb. WALK1.
a. The action of moving on the feet at any pace short of breaking into a run or trot; the action of taking pedestrian exercise. Phrase, to go a-walking. Also the manner or style in which a person walks.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet, lxiv. 42. If I sulde make my herdis to labur to mikil in walkyng, þai sal alle die on one day.
c. 1430. Dietarium, 18, in Babees Bk., 54. Cleer eir and walking makiþ good digestioun.
1585. Higins, Junius’ Nomencl., 188/1. Hypæthra ambulatio,… a walking in an open gallerie.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., I. iii. 127. There is no sturre, or walking in the streetes.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., V. iii. Sang xxi. He’s comely in his wauking.
1743. Stukeley, Abury, II. 57. The ancients conceiv’d it [sc. the motion of a serpent] to be like the walking of the gods.
1817. Kirby & Sp., Entomol., xxiii. II. 306. The mode of their walking depends upon the number and kind of their legs.
1821. Clare, Village Minstr., I. 195. As thou goest a walking.
1853. Dickens, Bleak Ho., xlix. They must have devoted the greater part of their long and arduous lives to pedestrian exercises, and the walking of matches.
1883. C. Howard, Roads Eng. & Wales (ed. 4), 115. The surface is very rough and scarcely rideable, and much walking will be necessary.
b. With advs. as walking about, -out, -up, nouns of action corresponding to verbal phrases.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 514/2. Walkynge abowte, or goynge, deambulacio, spaciatus.
1893. A. J. Stuart-Wortley, Partridge, 150. Walking up, or shooting partridges over dogs, is, in my judgment, the finest training of all for a young shooter.
attrib. 1905. H. G. Wells, Kipps, I. ii. § 5. It is considered … as savouring of the ‘walking-out’ habits of the servant girls.
c. fig. Manner of conducting or behaving oneself. Also † with a and pl.
1407. Lydg., Reson & Sens., 2994. For this skylle in my walkyng, As she that hath most maistry, I bere thys bowe of yvory.
1550. Bale, Apol., 35. If chastyte be a perfeccyon, and a walkynge in the lawes and ordynaunces of God wythout reproue.
1613. Day, Festivals, ix. (1615), 257. The Apostle to the Philippians makes speciall mention of both these Walkings.
1675. J. Owen, Indwelling Sin, xv. (1732), 211. The Observation of the Ways and Walkings of others.
1854. H. Rogers, Ess. (1855), II. 14. That wary walking which all his early life required.
† d. Passing (of money) from hand to hand. Cf. WALK v.1 3 b. Obs.
1549. Latimer, 5th Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 143. Ther was walkynge of angelles betwene them.
e. The action of a somnambulist.
1605. Shaks., Macb., V. i. 13. In this slumbry agitation, besides her walking, and other actual performances, what (at any time) haue you heard her say?
1607. Dekker & Webster, Northw. Hoe, III. E 2. I will find a remedy for this walking [sc. in sleep] if all the Doctors in towne can sell it.
f. The action of appearing as a ghost.
1727. De Foe, Hist. Appar., x. 200. Spirits who visit people, as well by night as by day, this we call walking and apparition.
† g. A going in procession. Obs.
1706. trans. Dupin’s Eccl. Hist. 16th C., II. IV. xviii. 268. They shall banish also out of their Churches all sorts of Musick:… all Walkings, Noises and Clamours.
2. A walk or journey on foot, the distance covered at or in a certain time.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 7. Yf thou stretch ye walkynges that thou vsest at home, & laye theim on length by the space of fiue or sixe dayes together, ya shalt easyly reach to Olympia.
1617. Moryson, Itin., I. 30. The circuit of the City is three houres walking.
1863. W. C. Baldwin, Afr. Hunting, vi. 217. We were about four hours’ hard walking on foot from the wagons.
1899. Westm. Gaz., 14 Nov., 9/2. His walkings exceed nine times the globe’s circumference.
3. The condition of a path or road for walking on.
1631. Anchoran, Comenius’ Gate Tongues, 127. Lest the walkings should be all myrie and dirtie.
1766. Complete Farmer, s.v. Walk, From this there may be a communication with the side walks, whereby there may be dry walking all round the garden.
1896. Housman, Shropsh. Lad, xlix. Empty heads and tongues a-talking Make the rough road easy walking.
4. attrib. and Comb., as walking † alley, † camp, distance, exercise, ground, match (hence walking-matching vbl. sb.), pace, powers pl., race, tour; also with sense ‘adapted for or used in walking,’ as walking boot, cane, dress etc., weather.
1552. Huloet, *Walkinge aley, or place of pleasure in a gardayne with quycke settes, topiarium.
1885. D. Webster, Angler & Loop-Rod, 14. The boots are made specially for the purpose, a size or two larger than ordinary *walking-boots.
1608. Willet, Hexapla Exod., 784. The measure and distance of their ambulatorie, and *walking campe.
1699. Dampier, Voy., Suppl. ix. 178. Rattans and *Walking-Canes.
1829. Lytton, Devereux, II. v. Did I not give the last guinea I had about me for a walking-cane yesterday?
1817. Lady Morgan, France, I. (1818), I. 30. The chateau … was but at a *walking distance.
1822. Repos. Arts, etc., 1 Nov., 297. *Walking Dress.
1835. H. Harewood, Dict. Sports, s.v. Training, A horse … requires a great deal of *walking exercise and careful feeding.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xxv. I wandered … to the College-yards, or *walking ground.
1806. Surr, Winter in Lond., II. 83. For *walking-hats, and hunting-hats, there was not a superior shop in London.
1832. P. Egan’s Bk. Sports, 133/2. In a *walking match … he went four miles in thirty-two minutes and half a second.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, xxii. Ever since I took to bird-catching and *walking matching.
1817. Kirby & Sp., Entomol., xxiii. II. 309. Insects vary much in their *walking paces.
1830. G. P. R. James, Darnley, xxxviii. III. 253. Thus marched on the procession at a walking pace.
1856. Kane, Arctic Expl., I. ix. 100. We … carried nothing except … a *walking-pole.
1866. Athlete, 8. *Walking Race, Seven Miles.
c. 1750. Heir of Linne, xxii. in Child, Ballads, V. 17/1. Wi *walking rod intill his hand, He walked the castle roun.
1859. Dickens, T. Two Cities, I. vi. It is a young lady’s *walking-shoe.
1864. Miss A. B. Edwards, Barbara’s Hist., xx. Mrs. Churchill and Hilda made an elaborate *walking-toilette.
a. 1881. Barratt, Phys. Metempiric (1883), Pref. p. xix. They … frequently went abroad and on *walking-tours together.
c. 1825. Lamb, Lett. to B. W. Proctor. We will expect finer *walking weather.
b. Special comb.: as walking-beam = BEAM sb.1 11; walking-day, a day on which school-children walk in procession; walking-go colloq. a walking-match; † walking hymn, a processional hymn; † walking-mate, one’s companion in walking; walking-orders, -papers pl., U.S. slang, a notice of dismissal; walking party, a party formed for an excursion on foot; † walking-path = FOOTWAY 1; † walking-place, a place for walking in, a walk, an ambulatory; walking-possession, a nominal form of distraint in which the man in possession may go away but with right of re-entry; walking-rapier, -sword (now Hist.), a rapier or sword such as was worn by gentlemen in civil life; walking-ticket U.S. = walking-orders (above). Also WALKING-STAFF, -STICK.
a. 1864. Gesner, Coal, Petrol., etc. (1865), 27. The crank giving motion to a *walking-beam, at the end of which boring tools or pump rods are attached.
1827. Hone, Every-day Bk., II. 784. That particular Thursday in this month [June], which is known all over the world of charity-schools by the name of *‘walking day.’
1906. Church Family Newsp., 29 June, 458/2. Warrington to-day observes its old time festival known as ‘Walking Day.’ All the principal streets of the town … will be given over entirely to the children attending the Sunday-schools.
1802. Sporting Mag., XIX. 199. Your provincial news must take in all the bye races, cock matches, *walking-goes, and every thing that’s worth knowing.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 179. Their *walking hymns at solemne Matins and Vespers.
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, L 4. Not the poorest *walking-mate, or thred-bare cut-purse in a countrey, that can well be without them [sc. almanacks], be it but to know the Faires and Markets when they fall.
1600. Rowlands, Lett. Humours Blood, v. 70. Rashnesse is his continuall walking mate.
1824. Vermont Gaz., 13 Jan.,1/3. A third suitor was in the habit of swearing…. He got his walking papers.
1835. Col. Crockett’s Tour, 170 (Thornton). He got his *walking orders, and Taney was taken into his place. Ibid., 80. The first course he took was to give walking papers to every man in office who had dared [to oppose him].
1800. Mrs. P. L. Powys, Passages fr. Diaries (1899), 337. After our repast the ladies made *walking parties to different places in the forest.
1791. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 77. The stone wherewith the *walking paths of Westminster Bridge were laid.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 514/2. *Walkynge place, deambulatorium.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terenice, Adelphi, IV. ii. Come backe againe into the walking place I told you of [in porticum rursum redi].
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, V. 367. The chief Walking-place in the whole Town: whither they went not only to take the Air, but to converse with Men of Learning, to hear the News [etc.].
1703. T. N., City & C. Purchaser, 12. A long kind of Galleries, or Walking-places.
1897. Daily News, 10 Dec., 3/2. Defendant’s man was in what was called *‘walking possession’ of the furniture.
1613. Rowlands, Paire of Spy-Knaues (1872), 8. Bid him trim vp my *walking Rapier neat.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xvi. Soldiers … get out of fashion in peace time, and satin sleeves and walking rapiers bear the bell.
1677. Lond. Gaz., No. 1198/4. A small Coûteau *walking Sword.
1910. Encycl. Brit., X. 250/2. The walking-sword, fit for a gentleman’s side, was … the small-sword of Versailles pattern.
1835. Col. Crockett’s Tour, 162 (Thornton). He received his *walking ticket. His services were no longer required.
