vbl. sb. [f. LETTER v. or sb.1 + -ING1.]
1. The action of writing letters; letter-writing.
c. 1645. Howell, Lett. (1650), II. 118. You may give the law of lettering to all the world.
1681. Discourse of Tanger, 3. If I exceed the Laws of Lettering, your command is my Apology.
1813. Byron, in Moore, Lett. & Jrnls. (1830), I. 464. I hate lettering.
2. The action or process of putting letters upon (anything) by inscribing, marking, painting, gilding, printing, stamping, etc. Also concr., the letters inscribed.
1811. L. M. Hawkins, C’tess & Gertr., I. 261. The letterings of his books had … afforded her a high hope of pleasure.
1832. G. R. Porter, Porcelain & Gl., 241. The dial-plate is complete, with the exception of the figures or lettering.
1869. J. Raven, Ch. Bells Cambr. (1881), 12. The rudeness of the lettering seems to suggest an early date.
1877. Act 40 & 41 Vict., c. 60 § 3. Such lettering, marking, and numbering shall include the word ‘registered’ … and the registered number.
1879. Miss Braddon, Vixen, III. 146. The book was to have … a smooth grey linen binding with silver lettering.
3. attrib. and Comb.: lettering block, -box (see quots.); lettering piece, the piece of leather on which the title of a book is stamped; lettering-tool, ‘a bookbinder’s tool for stamping the gilt titles on the backs of books’ (Knight, Dict. Mech., 1875).
1871. Amer. Encycl. Printing (ed. Ringwalt), 74. *Lettering-block, a piece of wood, the upper surface being rounded, upon which side-labels are lettered. *Lettering-box, the box in which the type are screwed up preparatory to lettering.
1818. Art Bookbinding, 30. Working the letters firm and straight on the *lettering-piece.
1880. Print. Trades Jrnl., No 31. 11. Some account-book lettering-pieces produced … for the trade are certainly wonderful specimens of lettering.
