Obs. exc. dial. [f. FLEET v.2 + -ING1.]
1. The action of skimming a liquid, esp. milk.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 167/1. Fletynge of lycowre, spumacio, despumacio.
1474. in Househ. Ord. (1790), 32. The maister cooke hath the fleetinge of the leade.
1615. Markham, The English House-wife, II. vi. (1668), 145. The fleeting or gathering of your Cream from the Milk.
b. concr. in pl. Skimmings, curds (see quots.).
1611. Cotgr., Sarrason, fleetinngs, or hastie curds scumd from the whey of a new-milke cheese, then thickened [etc.].
1845. H. White in Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., VI. I. 121. The last skimmings are termed fleetings, and are generally reserved for the use of the servants.
1873. E. Smith, Foods, 329. When butter-milk is added to boiling whey and the two are well mixed, a soft curd is thrown down. This mixture is called fleetings in Wales, and is eaten when either hot or cold with the addition of bread.
2. attrib. and Comb., as fleeting-dish, a dish used for skimming cream from milk; fleeting-milk, skim-milk; in quot. fig.
1736. Bailey, Househ. Dict., 181. Taking off the cream with a *fleeting dish.
1847. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., VIII. I. 75. This is well stirred, and skimmed with a common fleeting-dish.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, I. (1692), 19. It was the *flitting Milk of a poor Vicarage, the Parsonage Tithes being scumm’d from it.
