Also 6 steeling, steylling, stylling, -yng. [f. STILL v.2 + -ING1.]
† 1. The action of the verb STILL2; distillation.
1477. Norton, Ordin. Alch., v. in Ashm. (1652), 79. Liquor is in manie manners found … Some with stilling, as Waters be made.
1573–80. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 115. The knowledge of stilling is one pretie feat.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, 554. I appeal to your selves, if your Wort would not have turned sower,… and of no use or virtue, except for Stilling.
attrib. 1545. in R. H. Lathbury, Denham, Bucks (1904), 339. All the shelfes and formes that are in the stillinge house.
1573. in Rep. Middleton MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm. 1911), 438. To the cater … for the exchaunge of a steeling pott, iiij s.
1596. in Archæologia, LXIV. 375. For 1 dor in ye steylling house.
1600. Surflet, Country Farm, III. lxiv. 578. The stilling vessels.
1840. Liebig’s Org. Chem. Relat. Agric., 294. The wine in the stilling-casks.
b. Ireland. Illicit distillation of spirits.
1896. Blackw. Mag., Oct., 470/1. The Roman Catholic Bishop of Raphoe … has done more to stamp out ‘stilling’ than the R.I.C. could accomplish in a generation. Ibid. (1912), Dec., 787/2. Many parts of the Blue Ridge have long been notorious for the stilling which was carried on there, mostly on the illicit plan.
† 2. Dropping or trickling. Obs.
1530. Palsgr., 276/1. Styllyng or droppyng of lycour, distillation.
1538. Elyot, Dict., Catarrhus, a rewme or styllynge downe of water or fleme from the heed.
1576. Baker, Gesner’s Jewell of Health, 4. The yelowe seedes within the Rose … boyled in Wyne and drunke, doth staye … the styllings downe to the Gummes.
