[f. SMOULDER v.]
† 1. Smothering, suffocating, stifling. Obs.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 955. Al in smolderande smoke smachande ful ille.
1577. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 199. His acts be like the smoldring smoke.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. v. 3. The smouldring dust did round about him smoke.
1629. Milton, Hymn Nativ., xvii. While the red fire, and smouldring clouds out brake.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 740. Clouds of smouldring Smoke forbad the Sacrifice.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XII. 492. Sulphureous odours rose, and smouldering smoke.
† 2. Smoky; giving out smoke. Obs.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 210. Least while hee goeth about to auoide the smoulthering cole-pitte hee happe to fall into the scalding lime kill.
1767. Jago, Edge-hill, III. 491. From russet Lawns, and smould’ring Furnaces, To trace the Progress of thy steely Arts.
3. Burning slowly and without flame.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Weal & Woe, ii. 18. The widow … applied more fuel to her smouldering fire.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, xxxiv. When any stray drops of rain fell hissing on the smouldering embers.
1877. Black, Green Past., xlv. (1878), 362. He only stared into the smouldering wood before him.
b. In fig. contexts.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., II. xxxv. 215. All the smouldering embers of womanly feeling flashed up in the worn heart of Cassy.
1856. N. Brit. Rev., XXVI. 243. It is not a pleasant duty to rake up the smouldering embers of ancient controversies.
1872. Black, Adv. Phaeton, xxv. 343. The smouldering fires of Arthur’s wrath.
c. fig. Existing or continuing in a state of suppression or restraint.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xi. I subdued it into a sort of smouldering heart-burning.
1859. Geo. Eliot, A. Bede, I. I. ii. 45. A little smouldering vague anxiety.
1897. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., III. 56. The continuous smouldering activity of the true rheumatic process.
d. Glowing with a dull light.
1898. Doyle, Trag. Korosko, iv. Belmont, looking with smouldering eyes at the wretched Mansoor.
1904. Benson, Challoners, i. The dusky smouldering gold of her hair.
Hence Smoulderingly adv.; -ness.
1849. Lowell, Biglow P., Ser. I. Introd. A smothered smoulderingness of disposition seldom roused to open flame.
1893. F. Thompson, Poems, 76. The verge shrivelled inward smoulderingly.
