[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. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 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 ouermoche 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. Shaks., Oth., IV. iii. 16. Giue me my nightly wearing, and adieu.
a. 1613. Overbury, Wife, Characters, Milkmaid (1613), 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. Pettie, Guazzo’s Civ. Conv., I. (1586), A 3 b. Such rare iewels are well worth the wearing.
1607. Shaks., 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, garments, gown, jewels, linen, 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. Ibid. (1576), Panopl. Epist., 354. The sheepe … yeeldeth her woll, which is wouen and wrought to make vs wearing garmentes.
1593. Shaks., 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, xvijll.
1620. Inv., in Essex Rev. (1907), XVI. 206. His purs and waringe parell, ijll.
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), 20. The sd 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 wth you … yr Best Waring Things.
1688. R. 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 Hartford, 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. 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.
1741. 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. Shaks., 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. C. G. W. 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’, for he’s nowt nobbut a skillington.
d. Wearying or exhausting effect.
1845. Mrs. S. C. 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.
