Now chiefly dial. Also 7 suter, souter, 9 suiter, sooter. [f. prec.]
1. trans. To court, woo.
1672. Shadwell, Miser, I. How did you go to work to suitor my Mother?
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), s.v., He Suitor’d her in vain several Years.
1824. Scott, Redgauntlet, ch. v. The miller’s son … suitored me.
2. intr. To be a suitor or wooer (to): chiefly in gerund (to come or go a suitoring). Also fig.
1668. Sir C. Sedley, Mulberry Gard., II. ii. You are over-serious For a man that comes a Sutering.
1730. Fielding, Tom Thumb, II. v. In vain to me a suitoring you come, For I’m already promised to Tom Thumb.
1777. Franklin, Lett., Wks. 1889, VI. 83. A virgin State should preserve the virgin character, and not go about suitoring for alliances.
1817. Scott, Lett. to Terry, 12 March, in Lockhart. A daughter, suitored unto by the conceited young parson.
1838. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. St. Nich., vii. Counts a many, and Dukes a few, A suitoring came to my father’s Hall.
Hence Suitoring vbl. sb., wooing, courtship; also attrib.
1671. Mrs. Behn, Amorous Prince, IV. iv. Well, I see there is nothing but soutering I’ this Town; wo’d our Lucia were here too for me.
1746. (title) Exmoor Courtship, or A Suitoring Discourse, in the Devonshire Dialect and Mode.
1847. Halliwell, Sootering.… Devon.
1886. Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Suitering.
1889. Athenæum, 14 Dec., 816/3. The usual ‘suitorings,’ sulkings, makings-up, of various couples.
