Forms: 1 hwiting, 5 whytyng(e, wytyng, whittyng, 5–6 whityng, 6 whyghtynge, whighting, whitting(e, 6–7 whitinge, 7 whiteing, whyting, whytting, 8 whiten, 6– whiting. [f. WHITE v.1 + -ING1.] I. The action of the verb.
† 1. The action or process of making white; whitening. Obs. a. by covering or coating with white: Whitewashing. Also fig.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 413. For whytyng that lyme is conuenyent.
1495–6. Rec. St. Mary at Hill (1904), 220. Payd to Symon dawber for whittyng of the chyrch, v days iij s.
1540. Dunmow Churchw. Acc., lf. 31 (MS.). For whyghtynge of the porche.
1605. Shuttleworths’ Acc. (Chetham Soc.), 169. A plasterer, viij days and halfe whytting of the dyning chamber roffe … iiijs iijd.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 81. Whiting and Stopping of fret seelings.
fig. 1628. A. Leighton, Appeal to Parlt., 186. In this case, the whiting, daubing, or palliating will not serve.
b. by depriving of color: Bleaching.
1477. Act 17 Edw. IV., c. 4. Whityng & anelyng de tewle appellez pleintile.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., I. 58. For the speedier whiting of yarne.
1620. in Foster, Engl. Factories India (1906), 192. The whitster … detaynes them in whitinge and starchinge about three mounthes.
1683. Lond. Gaz., No. 1801/4. A convenient piece of Ground … gor whiting of Linnen Cloth.
2. Printing. The use of ‘white’ (cf. WHITE sb. 7 a and a. 2 d).
1884. Athenæum, 24 May, 658/3. The variety of type and the liberal whiting are quite luxurious, and almost compensate for the inevitable smallness of some of the type.
II. concr. 3. A preparation of finely powdered chalk, used for whitewashing, cleaning plate, and various other purposes.
In OE. only in Comb. hwítingmelu ‘whiting meal.’
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 525/2. Whytynge, or mater to make whyghte of…, albatura, candidacium.
1633–4. Althorp MS., in Simpkinson, Washingtons (1860), App. p. lxiii. 12 balls of whiteing to scowre the plate.
1690. Sir J. Foulis, Acc. Bk. (S. H. S.), 129. To meg for whyting for teeth, 2 18 0.
1799. G. Smith, Laboratory, I. 143. Take some whiten,… lay your foils upon it, and … polish your foils.
1844. Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., VII. 150/1. Anoint the segments … with thin putty, made with fine whiting and some of the linseed oil.
1880. Baring-Gould, Mehalah, viii. You cannot clean a deck with whiting, you must take holystone.
III. 4. attrib. and Comb., as (in sense 1 a) whiting brush, work; (in sense 1 b) whiting ground, time; (in sense 3) whiting-manufacturer.
1611. Cotgr., Escouētte,… *whiting brush.
1692. Specif. Patent, No. 256 (Patent Office). Erected a bucking house, fitted and prepared a *whiteing ground.
1813. Examiner, 22 March, 183/2. M. Price,… *whiting-manufacturer.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., III. iii. 140. It is *whiting time, send him by your two men to Datchet-Meade.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 407. Eek *whyting werk is thyng of gret delyte.
