[f. SPRING v.1]
I. 1. The action, on the part of seeds, plants, etc., of sprouting or growing.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9927. It castes lem ouer al sa bright … Als ros þat es als in springing.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, II. i. (Skeat), l. 89. The seed of suche springinge in al places … shulde ben sowe.
1422. trans. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv., 142. The wyntyr helpyth to the Spryngynge and the bourgynge of naturall thyngis.
1568. Withals, Dict., 2/1. The spryngynge of the leafe, germinatio.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, I. iii. 5. Their time of springing, flowring and fading.
1611. Bible, Ps. lxv. 10. Thou makest it soft with showres, thou blessest the springing thereof.
1633. Fletcher, Purple Isl., XII. xiii. Successive storms … The timely yeare in its first springings kill.
1730. Bailey (fol.), Germination, a springing, sprouting, or budding forth.
1889. Ruskin, Præterita, III. 41. I gathered what wild flowers were in their first springing.
transf. and fig. 1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., A ij. To nothing is graunted a perpetuall springing.
1653. Binning, Serm. (1845), 310. How many souls are choked … in the very Springing, by the thorns of the Cares of this World.
b. With up, in fig. use.
1538. Starkey, England, I. i. 15. Excepte ther be joynyd some gud prouysyon for theyr spryngyng vp and gud culture, they schal neuer bryng forth theyr frute.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxxiii. (1592), 531. Eyther the springing vp of Religion is vpon some great Coniunction,… or els at the springing vp therof [etc.].
1620–51. I. Jones, Stone-Heng (1725), 11. Upon the first springing up of Christian Religion here.
1653. H. More, Moral Cabbala, IV. ii. 29. The sundry Germinations and Springings up of the works of Righteousness in him are a delectable Paradise to him.
2. † a. The first appearance, the rise or dawn, of the day, etc. Obs.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3562. Out ate ȝeate þey rydeþ ryȝt, In þe sprynggyng of þe day.
1382. Wyclif, Job iii. 9. The springing of the risende morwetid.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 66. To knowe þe sterynge of þe firmament and þe firste risynge or spryngynge of þe signes.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 22. That … every artificer and laborer be at ther werke in the springing of the day.
1705. Stanhope, Paraphr., I. 25. The Springing of the Morning.
b. The beginning, the early part, of the year, etc.; † the season of spring.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxxiii. 248. In the spryngynge of somer…, Odo, byssop of Bayou,… was delyured out of pryson by William Conquerour.
a. 1645. Strode, Poet. Wks. (1907), 123. Mourne, mourne, yee lovers: sadly singing Love hath his Winter, and no springing.
1889. Baring-Gould & Sheppard, Songs West, 35 (E.D.D.). ’Twas in the springing of the year, In eighteen hundred two.
† c. The increase or waxing of the moon. Obs.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 218. In spryngynge of the mone [L. crescente luna] is best to sowe. Ibid., III. 375. While the mone is in spryngyng.
d. With up: (see quot.).
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Tete de vent, the rising, or springing-up of a breeze.
† 3. Origin, source. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xlix. 19. Ouer alle lif in the springyng [L. origine] of Adam.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc. 60. Blode is norischyng of al membrez,… and al haþ bigynnyng or spryngyng of blode.
4. The action of rising or flowing out of the ground.
c. 1420. Brut, ccxxiv. 292. In wynter þere arose suche a sprynggynge and wellinge op of wateres and floodes.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 471/1. Spryngynge, of a welle or oþer waxynge watyr.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 46. There is a fountaine … which, according to the springing and issuing forth out of this or that place, signifyeth the change in the price of corne.
1738. De Foe’s Tour Gt. Brit. (ed. 2), III. 190. This Derwent is famous for its springing out of those Hills called Derwent Fells.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, VI. xli. Knowledge, from its secret source enchants Young hearts with the fresh music of its springing.
5. The action of leaping or bounding.
c. 1590. in Hazl., E. P. P., IV. 199. And after supper they did make good sporte With dauncing and springing.
1611. Cotgr., Grouillis,… the springing of a child in the wombe.
1898. Watts-Dunton, Aylwin, XV. i. She recalled … my springing up and running to the mass of débris and looking round it.
b. Resilient or elastic movement or force.
1680. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., x. 187. The springing up of the Pole makes an intermission in the running about of the work.
1831. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, I. 339. The springing of a saw is often regarded … as a certain proof of its quality.
1841. Browning, Pippa Passes, Poems (1905), 181. As I walk There ’s springing and melody and giddiness.
1889. Science-Gossip, XXV. 271. There being no pressure there is no danger of ‘springing’ when the clips are removed.
6. The action of cracking or giving way.
c. 1595. [see SPENDING vbl. sb. 4].
1623. in Foster, Eng. Factories Ind. (1908), II. 228. Some soddaine leake by the springing of a butt head.
1805. Naval Chron., XIII. 344. The springing of her mast.
7. a. Arch. = SPRING sb.1 20.
1703. [see SKEW v.2 5].
1735. J. Price, Stone-Br. Thames, 7. Up to the springing of the Arches.
1776. G. Semple, Building in Water, 16. The middle Arch is 26 Feet high from the springing.
1833. Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 1105. Elliptical arches to be put across…, with neat wood impost mouldings at the springings.
a. 1878. Sir G. Scott, Lect. Archit. (1879), I. 54. The first idea for obviating it was to lower the springing of the vault.
b. The point of growth from the trunk.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 571. The wood is stronger in the middle of the trunk than at the springing of the branches.
1843. Holtzapffel, Turning, I. 35. Those parts of wood described as curls, are the result of the confused filling in of the space between the forks, or the springings of the branches.
8. (See quot.)
1844. H. Stephens, Bk. Farm, II. 445. About a fortnight before the time of reckoning, symptoms of calving indicate themselves in the cow…. These symptoms are called springing in England, and the heifers which exhibit them are springers.
II. † 9. The action of sprinkling. Obs.
1388. Wyclif, 1 Pet. i. 2. Bi obedience, and springyng of the blood of Jhesu Crist.
c. 1400. Trevisa’s Higden (Rolls), VII. App. 522. There came a ȝonglinge with a golden chalys ful of water, and aqueynt the stronge heete wit springinge of water.
10. a. The action of causing a mine to explode.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low C. Wars, 287. At the springing of that Mine, Bodies of Men might have been seen hovering piece-meal in the Air.
1709. Lond. Gaz., No. 4544/2. The Governor … is said to have been killed by the springing of the great Mine.
1785. Burke, Sp. Nabob Arcot’s Debts, Wks. 1842, I. 343. The assignees of his debt, who little expected the springing of this mine,… thought it best to take ground on the real state of the transaction.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, lv. The springing of his mine upon himself.
1882. Hamley, Traseaden Hall, II. 166. An important step … was the springing some heavily charged mines.
b. The action of causing a rattle to sound.
1813. Hor. Smith, Horace in London, 115. What a discord of bugles and bells, What whistling, and springing of rattles!
1845. Ann. Reg., 78/1. He heard the breaking of glass and the springing of the policeman’s rattle.
11. The action of causing a bird to rise.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 108, ¶ 4. The springing of a Pheasant.
1883. A. M. Mayer, in Century Mag., Aug., 491/2. Often, the best of markers will be baffled in finding the birds … after the springing of the covey.
12. The action of bringing suddenly on one.
1888. G. W. Smalley, Lond. Lett. (1890), I. 227. The intimacy of Lord Hartington’s relations with Mr. Chamberlain dates … from the springing of the Home Rule Bill on the Liberal party by Mr. Gladstone.
III. 13. attrib. and Comb. † a. Springing-time, = SPRING-TIME 1. Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 65. Þe ȝates of Caspij beeþ … in springyng tyme faste i-barred for serpentes and addres. Ibid. (1398), Barth. De P. R., XVII. ii. (Bodl. MS.). Treen þat nedeþ to be sette beþ moste in springinge tyme … for temporat heete and moisture.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., III. 374. This eyther craft for spryngyng tyme is born.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xx. 29. Whan the Spryngyng tyme began. Ibid. (a. 1533), Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B. The fruites in the spryngyng tyme haue not the vertue to gyue sustenaunce.
b. In sense 7 a, as springing course, -high adj., -line, plate, -point, stone, wall.
1776. G. Semple, Building in Water, 114. The … Piers … you may begin upon the Platform…. But it would do best to begin them on the *springing Course.
1842. Gwilt, Archit., Gloss., Springing Course, the horizontal course of stones, from which an arch springs or rises.
1883. Specif. Alnwick & Cornhill Rlwy., 5. When stone imposts or springing courses are used, the stones are always to be equal to the full thickness of the arch.
1776. G. Semple, Building in Water, 48. We compleatly finished the North Pier, *springing high.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Springing-line,… the line from which an arch rises.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., II. 251. The boundary line or lines of the intrados … are called springing lines of an arch.
1853. J. Nicholson’s Operat. Mechanic, 801. The masonry of the North Abutment is fifteen feet thick at the *Springing Plate.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., I. 297/2. This may be said to be the *springing-point of the arches. Ibid. The pier … is surmounted by a cap, or *springing stone.
1838. Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., I. 151/1. The thickness of the *springing walls is two bricks, the arch one and a half brick.
c. Misc., as springing-board, faculty, power, tool.
1859. Habits of Gd. Society (new ed.), 82. To whom a mere word serves as the *springing-board from which to rise to new trains of thought.
1698. Petiver, in Phil. Trans., XX. 397. A peculiar species I … call Snap-Beetles, from their elastick or *springing Faculty.
1839. Darwin, Voy. Nat., ii. (1879), 31. I amused myself one day by observing the *springing powers of this insect.
1846. Holtzapffel, Turning, II. 536. The finishing or hanging tools,… called also *springing tools, which are made of various curves and degrees of strength, yield to these small accidental motions.
