[f. WELL v.1 + -ING2.]
1. Boiling: said of a liquid, of molten metal, etc.; also of a pot. Welling hot, boiling hot.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 21042. In a tun was welland hat fild of oyle he did him schott. Ibid., 26753. Alle your entrailles ilkon in welland pottes sal be don.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 6578. Whoso handlyth pycche wellyng hote He shal have fylthe thereof sumdeyl.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 7126. It salle be hatter þan ever was Molten led or welland bras.
1370–80. Visions of St. Paul, 134, in O. E. Misc., 227. And þei sodun euerichon in wellyng pich and Brumston.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 4080. Till he come blesenand on a brym was welland hate.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lxviii. 385. Sone after come ij. deuyls yellyng, and broughtyn a Cawderon full of hote wellyng brasse.
† b. fig. in phr. welling woe (of hell). Cf. to well in woe, WELL v.1 3 b. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 21836. He demed me in-till hell depe, Euer in welland wa to wepe.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xvi. (Magdalena), 634. [Christ] tholit þare dyspituise ded, Fra welland wa vs al to led.
† c. Welling wood, raging mad. (Cf. WALLING ppl. a.1 1.) Obs.
13[?]. St. Cristofer, 53, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 455. Bathe togedir away þay ȝode Als þay hade bene welland wode.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., viii. 344. Thes folk shall flyt no far, If he go welland wode.
2. Of a spring, tears, etc.: Flowing abundantly, surging. Also fig.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, I. i. 86. Or els to see the sight that might al my wellinge sorowes voyde.
1388. Wyclif, Gen. xxvi. 19. Thei diggiden in the stronde, and thei founden wellynge watir.
1548. Udall, Erasm. Par. N. T., Pref. 7. He was a continual wellyng fountayne of eloquence,… a botomlesse spring of largesse.
1567. Turberv., Ovid’s Ep., 50. Alongste my stayned cheekes eche houre the welling teares doe trill.
1819. S. Rogers, Human Life, 741. Their questions, their replies, Fresh as the welling waters, round him rise.
1850. Disraeli, in G. E. Buckle, Life (1914), III. viii. 238. There should be more variety in the movement. Something to break the low, tho’ welling, chorus of the agrestic multitude.
1858. Farrar, Eric, I. xiii. Soft hair, tangled with welling blood.
1890. H. H. Johnston, in Nature, 13 Nov., 46/1. This turned out to be a welling, brackish pool thronged with bulrushes and reeds.
3. That pours out a stream or streams. Of a wound, etc.: Bleeding copiously. Also fig.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. iii. 181. The Sun … and Windes … Extract as much still of her humours thin, As weeping Aire, and welling Earth pours in.
1814. Byron, Lara, II. xvii. Kneels Kaled watchful o’er his welling side.
1910. Sat. Rev., 19 Feb., 225/1. He [Winston Churchill] spares no labour on his speeches, yet, again like his father, they have the air of happy improvisation, as though they came from a welling heart.
