[-ING1.]
1. The action of the vb. WEAKEN in various senses; an instance of this.
1548. Elyot’s Dict., Debilitatio, a weakenyng, or makyng faynte.
c. 1550. W. S., Disc. Comm. Weal Eng. (1893), 21. Yet youe knowe we labour with oure myndes, more to the weaknynge of the same then by anie other bodyly exercise we can doe.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem., II. (Arb.), 135. To the great weakening euen at this day of Christes Chirch in England.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xii. 59. All which causes of the weakening of mens faith, do manifestly appear in the Examples following.
1674. R. Godfrey, Inj. & Ab. Physick, 72. What with the weakennings of this fit, twice bleeding an Issue, often vomitting, and oftner purging; I was every year as duly as autumn came, laid up with a continual Fever, or an intermitting one.
1748. Anson’s Voy., I. x. 100. The diminishing and weakening of our crew by deaths and sickness.
1869. J. Peile, Grk. & Lat. Etymol., 124. Here we have cases of pure weakening—the substitution of a weaker for a stronger sound.
1874. A. J. Ellis, E. E. Pronunc., IV. 1270. Weakening consists, according to Grimm, in ‘an unaccountable diminishing of vowel content.’
1876. Tait, Rec. Adv. Phys. Sci., iv. 86. The efficiency of the engine is directly proportional to the weakening of the current.
1886. Jago, Chem. Wheat, etc., 315. The rate at which weakening goes on during panification.
1901. Brit. Med. Jrnl., 2 Feb., 263/1. The opening can be enlarged and then resutured without causing any weakening in the lower part of the abdominal wall.
2. Something that weakens; a cause or source of weakness. Now rare or Obs.
1545. Visct. Lisle, in Hooker, Life Sir P. Carew (1857), 130. Which wilbe a great weakening to the navye, yf any thing in the meane tyme shall happen.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 18. If Doores and Windowes … were as wide as they are high; it must through necessity be a weakening to a Building.
1703. R. Neve, City & C. Purchaser, 7. All Openings are Weaknings.
1744. M. Bishop, Life, 208. This was a great weakening to us,… for we were environed round on all sides by our Enemies, [etc.].
