[f. LANCE v. + -ING1.]
1. The action of the vb. LANCE in various senses: e.g., † a. Launching (of boats). † b. Piercing, pricking. c. Cutting with a lancet.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XXI. ii. Thenne there was launcynge of grete botes and smal.
1592. Davies, Immort. Soul, II. vii. (1714), 23. The cruel Lancing of the knotty Gout.
1638. R. Baker, trans. Balzac’s Lett. (vol. II.), 202. You make with it [syllogisme] a wholesome and delightful lancing.
1645. Milton, Tetrach., Introd., Wks. 1851, IV. 140. The launcing of that old apostemated error.
1655. Wood, Life, 17 Dec. Which caused a swelling in his cheek … and that a lancing thereof, which made him unfit to appeare in public.
1677. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, III. 105. God forbids his people this funeral rite of cutting and lancing because abused to Demon-idolatrie.
attrib. 1530. Palsgr., 604/2. I launce a sore, as a cyrurgien dothe with a launsyng yron.
1859. Sala, Gas-light & D., x. 119. He has curiously a dominant passion for leaping, darting the lancing pole … and other feats of strength and agility.
2. Acting as a lancer.
1838–9. Thackeray, Major Gahagan, iii. A ball … put a stop to his lancing.
