vbl. sb. [f. FLAT v.2 + -ING1.]
1. The action or process of laying, pressing, or beating out flat; spec. the process of rolling metal into plates; also in Glass-making, the process of flattening a split glass cylinder.
1611. Cotgr., Emplatement, a flatting; a laying flat vnto; a making broad or flat.
1687. Taubman, London’s Tri., 6. In another apartment is also Disgrossing, Flatting and Drawing of Gold and Silver Wyre.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 318. Take a flatting-mill, such as the silver-wire drawers use, or those employed in the flatting of gold, silver or copper-plate.
b. concr. A layer of mortar.
1829. J. Hodgson, in J. Raine, Mem. (1858), II. 161. The mortar is good, and shews that the wall has been constructed in regular flattings, with layers of basaltic rumlar work between each flatting of the mortar.
† 2. The process of becoming flat. Of wine: The process of becoming vapid or insipid.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., 30. The flatting of the Surface in the middle is from the abatement of the waters pressure outwards, by the contrary indeavour of its gravity.
1675. W. Charleton, Two Disc., II. 160. The Palling or Flatting of Wines, and their declination toward Vinegar, before they have attained to the State of Maturity and perfection.
† 3. Music. The lowering (of a note) by one semitone. Obs.
1674. Playford, Skill Mus., I. ii. 9–10. These two B Cliffs are placed not only at the beginning of the Lines with the other Cliff, but is usually put to several Notes in the middle of any Song or Lesson for the Flatting or Sharping of Notes, as the Harmony of the Musick requires.
4. Coal-mining. (See quots., and see FLAT sb.3 4.)
1883. Gresley, Gloss. Coal Mining, Flatting, drawing or leading coals underground with horses and lads.
1891. Labour Commission Gloss., Flatting … is the stacking of coal by boys at the flat.
5. Gilding and Housepainting. The action of FLAT v.2 8. Also concr. The overlaid coat.
1823. P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 410. The Nottingham white-lead is the most esteemed for what is called flatting, or dead-white.
1881. F. Young, Every man his own Mechanic, § 1582. When the finishing coat is to be ‘flatting,’ as it is technically called, it must be laid over an under coat or ground colour mixed with oil.
6. attrib. and Comb., as flatting furnace, hammer, hearth, stone, tool, (chiefly in Glass-making: see 1); flatting coal, colour, white (sense 5); flatting-mill, a mill for flattening, esp. one for rolling metal into sheets and forming the ribbon from which the planchets are cut in coining.
1875. Ure’s Dict. Arts, II. 402. The *flatting colour should be incorporated with a large quantity of spirits of turpentine.
1810. James, Milit. Dict., Flattoir, Fr. a *flatting hammer.
1618. in Lord’s Debates (Camd., 1870), 138. Carried away twoe *flatting milnes, and divers other tooles.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 318. Take a flatting-mill, such as the silver-wire drawers use, or those employed in the flatting of gold, silver or copper-plate.
1823. P. Nicholson, Pract. Build., 406. In the operation of making it [milled lead], a laminating-roller is used, or a flatting-mill, which reduces it to the state in which it is used.
1891. Star, 24 Oct., 4/6. Jeweller’s flatting mills.
