[f. CASE v.2 + -ING1.]
1. The action of the verb to CASE.
1575. Turberv., Venerie, 239. Turne his skinne over his eares all alongst the bodie … this is called casing.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. viii. 249. Either by skilful reproduction of earlier forms, or by no less skilful casing of an earlier shell.
2. concr. Something that encases.
1839. R. S. Robinson, Naut. Steam Eng., 49. The valve is enclosed in a valve casing of cast iron.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., II. vi. 70. Allow the winds to break up its iron casing [of ice].
1867. F. Francis, Angling, vi. (1880), 198. The fly throws off yet another complete casing.
b. Building. (cf. CASE v.2 2 a.)
1791. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 47. We must suppose that the outside casing had been then begun from the rock.
c. 1854. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., i. (1858), 99. Wells … deeply built with marble casings round their mouths, worn by the ropes of ages.
c. in various technical uses (see quots.).
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., Casing (Metal-working), the middle wall of a blast-furnace … (Shipbuilding.) The cylindrical curb around a steamboat funnel, protecting the deck from the heat … (Blasting.) A wooden tunnel for powder hose in blasting.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Casing, Corn[wall]. 1. A partition or brattice, made of casing-plank, in a shaft. 2. [Pac[ific slope]. Casings are zones of material altered by vein-action, and lying between the unaltered country rock and the vein.
