[f. BELL v.4 + -ING1.]
† 1. The roaring of animals; bellowing. Obs.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 30. Bellynge, of [? or] rorynge of bestys (v.r. bellinge of nete), mugitus.
2. spec. The cry of deer in the rutting season; hence ellipt. the season itself. Occas. attrib.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. Prol. 68. The meik hartis in belling oft ar found Mak feirs bargane.
c. 1560. A. Scott, Adv. Wanton Wowaris. As bukkis in belling tyme.
1858. Lytton, What will He do? II. iv. (1859), 270 (D.). A melancholy belling note, like the belling itself of a melancholy hart.
† 3. Crying, roaring of human beings. Obs.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, II. (Arb.), 68. With mournful belling I namde expreslye Creüsa.
Belling vbl. sb., in sense of BELL v.1, 2, 3, 5: see these.
