[f. FIGHT v. + -ING1.]
1. The action of the vb. FIGHT in various senses; an instance of the same.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 228. Þe ueorðe uroure is, sikernesse of Godes helpe iðe vihtunge aȝein.
1340. Ayenb., 239. He hedde arered ana ymad manye werren and manye viȝtinges.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Æsop, etc. (1889) II. 310. Fro the fyghtynge of the wymmen hit aroos and came to theyr husbondes with buffettis and castynge of stones.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Esdras iv. 6. The other yt medle not with warres and fightinge.
1724. De Foe, Mem. Cavalier (1840), 58. I have had fighting enough, says he, upon these points of honour, and I never got anything but reproof for it from the king himself.
1828–40. Tytler, Hist. Scot. (1864), I. 172. From the nature of the ground it was impossible to come to close fighting; and having no archers, they were slaughtered without resistance.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), IV. xviii. 231. While they were fighting and receiving the reward of their fightings, their wives still tarried in Normandy.
† 2. An alleged designation for a company of beggars. Obs.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, Fvj b. A Fightyng of beggers.
3. attrib. and Comb. a. simple attrib., as fighting-day, face, -gear, -ground, -line, -order, -ship, -song, -strength, -trim.
1778. Biog. Brit. (ed. 2), I. 240 note. He was a coward who had his *fighting days.
1879. Browning, Halbert & Hob, 57.
| At dawn, the father sate on, dead, in the self-same place, | |
| With an outburst blackening still the old bad *fighting-face. |
1816. Scott, Pibroch of Donuil Dhu.
| Come with your *fighting gear, | |
| Broadswords and targes. |
1845. G. P. R. James, Arrah Neil, vii. We might contrive to get into better *fighting ground.
1883. Daily News, 21 Sept., 5/4. Detachments … all in full *fighting order.
1863. P. Barry, Dockyard Econ., 185. No *fighting ship is worth anything now-a-days without coal and speed.
1871. Black, Adv. Phaeton, xxviii. 379. Now this is a *fighting song.
1580. Sidney, Ps. xviii. 11.
| For why? my *fighting strength, by Thy strength, strengthned was, | |
| Not I but Thou throw’st down those who ’gainst me do rise. |
1886. J. K. Laughton, in Dict. Nat. Biog., VI. 387/1. Broke was keenly sensible of the urgent necessity of keeping the ship at all times in perfect *fighting trim.
b. Special comb.: fighting-cook, see COCK sb.1 2 b.; fighting-field = BATTLE-FIELD; fighting-lanterns, lanterns used during night actions; fighting-sails (see quot. 1867); † fighting-school, a gymnasium; † fighting-stead Sc., battle-field; fighting-stopper Naut. (see quot.); † fighting-wise, battle array.
1676. Dryden, Aurengz., II. i. 935.
| In *Fighting Fields, where our Acquaintance grew, | |
| I saw him and contemn’d him first for you. |
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., *Fighting-lanterns.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., xii. 58. If you see your chase strip himselfe into *fighting sailes, that is to put out his colours in the poope.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Fighting-sails, those to which a ship is reduced when going into action; formerly implying the courses and topsails only.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Macc. iv. 12. He durst make a *fightinge scole vnder ye castell, and set fayre yonge men to lerne the maners of whores and brodels.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XV. 378.
| That Ewmond de Caleone wes ded | |
| Richt in that ilk *fechting-sted. |
1881. Hamersly’s Naval Encycl., *Fighting-stopper, an arrangement of two dead-eyes, connected by rope laniards, and furnished each with a tail of rope. When a shroud is parted in action, the tails embrace the severed parts, and then they are hauled together by the laniard.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 267. Had I founded in fere, in *feȝtyng wyse, I haue a hauberghe at home and a helme boþe.
