In 4–6 totyng; 6 towting. Now dial. [f. TOOT v.1 + -ING1.] The action of TOOT v.1; spying, peeping, looking.
1553. Respublica, I. iii. 5. Theare was suche tooting, suche looking and suche priinge.
1598. Florio, Osolamento, a spying, a peeping, a tooting.
b. attrib. as tooting-glass, looking-glass; tooting-hill = TOOT-HILL; so tooting-hole, peep-hole; tooting-place, -tower, etc.
1382. Wyclif, Jer. xxxi. 21. Ordeyne to theea toting place. Ibid. (1388), Isa. xxi. 8. Y stonde contynueli bi dai on the totyng place of the Lord.
c. 1460. Med. Gramm., Speculare, a totynge hylle and a bekyne.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 105. Thei with in the citee [Orleans] perceiued well this totyng hole, and laied a pece of ordynaunce directly against the wyndowe.
1552. Huloet, Towtynge hoole to loke out at in a wall or wyndowe.
1556. Phaër, Æneid, IV. L ij. As dawning waxed white from tooting towres on hie.
c. 1560. Gest, Serm., in Dugdale, Life (1840), 182. Senec … wryteth that tootyng glasses be found to know our selfes and to rule our lyfes by… that we Christen men and women thus used our tootinge glasses.
1894. O. Heslop, Northumbld. Gloss., Tooting-hole, a spyhole or loophole.
