[f. TEETHE v. + -ING1.]
1. The action of the verb TEETHE; the process of developing teeth, dentition; usually applied to the cutting of the milk-teeth.
1732. Arbuthnot, Rules of Diet, iv., in Aliments, etc. (1736), 414. When the Symptoms of Teething appear, the Gums ought to be relax’d by softening Ointment.
1872. L. P. Meredith, Teeth (1878), 31. Fatal diseases incident to early childhood … not caused by the irritation of teething.
2. The pointing of the interstices between stones in a wall, or slates on a roof, with lime or mortar.
1844. Stephens, Bk. Farm, I. 198. The putting them [slates] on, including dressing, holing, pins for the slates, and nails for the laths, cost only 15s., and with moss for bedding 1s.,… and lime for teething 3s., 22s. the rood.
3. attrib. and Comb., as teething fever, period, rash; teething bannock, teething plaster, an oatmeal cake given in Scotland to a child beginning to cut its teeth; teething powder, a medicinal powder given to children when teething.
1861. W. F. Collier, Hist. Eng. Lit., 400. A severe teething fever deprived him of the use of his right leg.
1866. W. Gregor, Dial. Banffshire, Teething-bannock. Ibid (1881), Folklore, 9. The teethin bannock … was baked of oatmeal and butter or cream.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 586. ‘Red gum,’ ‘teething rash,’ usually regarded as a sweat rash.
