[f. SUMMER v.1 or sb.1 + -ING1.]
1. a. The pasturing of cattle in summer. Also attrib., as summering ground, place, plain.
1477. Churchw. Acc. Tintinhull (Somerset Rec. Soc.), 193. For wynteryng and summering of the chyrche cowe, iijs.
1580. Records of Elgin (New Spald. Club), I. 156. Fyve s. for the symmering of tua ky to him in symmer last wes.
1595. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), 254. I will that my wife be fre to all my sommering places.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 605. The Romans had a speciall regard to chuse some places for the summering of their sheepe, and some place for their wintering.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., I. 45. Aladin … assigned him this village to winter in, and the mountaines adioyning, for the sommering of his cattell.
1664. in Northumb. Gloss., s.v. Summering, All my summering grounds in the parish of Symonburne.
1688. Walter Scot, Hist. Name Scot (repr. 1776), 33. All our south-parts was wood and forrest, Except here and there a summering plain.
1802. Farmer’s Mag., April, 197. Summering on grass, being the customary payment for a cow, L. 3 10 0.
1888. Doughty, Trav. Arabia Deserta, I. 24. When nearly all the villagers lie encamped … for the summering of their cattle.
b. Spending the summer, summer residence. † Also attrib., as summering-house, place. Now U.S.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, s.v. Confectus, When they had done restinge in their summering places.
1675. Covel, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakluyt Soc.), 238. The G. Sr. nourishes severall [English mastiffs], and hath here hard by our house a sommering-house for them.
1817–8. Cobbett, Resid. U. S. (1822), 272. After a long summering upon wild flesh.
1856. Miss Warner, Hills Shatemuc, x. The young ladies’ summering in the country had begun with good promise.
1883. G. P. Lathrop, in Harper’s Mag., Aug., 331/2. Altoona itself is a summering place on account of its excellent hotel, [etc.].
1892. Kipling, in Times (weekly ed.), 25 Nov., 13/2. You in England have no idea of what Summering means in the States.
c. The summer treatment of hunters.
1856. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Rural Sports, II. III. ii. § 2. 404/2. In the middle of September the training for the hunting season begins, and at that time the summering may be considered at an end.
1881. Encycl. Brit., XII. 194/1. It will probably be nearly a month after the last hunting day before the summering treatment is adopted.
† 2. A summer excursion, festivity or revelling.
1606. Jas. VI., in Reg. Privy Council Scot., VII. 489. Thair forbearing ony suche lyke sommering heirefter.
1630. Brathwait, Eng. Gentlem., 166. Both Southward in their Wakes, and Northward in their Summerings, the very same Recreations are to this day continued. Ibid. (1631), Whimzies, Ruffian, 82. His soveraignty is showne highest at May-games, wakes, summerings, and rush-bearings.
1781. J. Hutton, Tour to Caves, Gloss. (E.D.S.), Summering, a rush-bearing.
3. dial. a. pl. Summer apples or pears.
1847. Halliwell, Summerings,… very early apples and pears.
1877. N. W. Linc. Gloss.
b. Summer pasture or feed.
1894. Morning Post, 3 Feb., 2/1. If the meadow land which belonged to the farm was cut off, leaving only the summering.
1894. Northumb. Gloss., s.v., Summerings, Sommerings, pastures on the moors; so-called from their being occupied only in the summer months.
c. pl. Cattle of one year old.
Cf. ON. samrungr.
1828. Farm. Jrnl., 9 June (E.D.D.).
1847. in Halliwell.
