[f. YELLOW v.1 + -ING1.] The action of imparting a yellow color.
1611. Cotgr., Iauinissure,… a yellowing, or making yellow.
1622. T. Stoughton, Chr. Sacrif., xii. 166. Thrift … is pleaded for this yellowing of linnen as the which being so yellowed needeth not so much washing.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Yellowing, a manufacturing term for cleaning pins.
1859. A. Smith, in Macm. Mag., I. 125/2. The slow yellowing of wheaten plains.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Yellowing, the passing over of captains at a flag promotion.
1894. Brit. Jrnl. Photog., XLI. 25. There would be no yellowing if the paper was good.
So Yellowing ppl. a.
1757. Dyer, Fleece, IV. 576. The op’ning vallies, and the yellowing plains.
1840. Browning, Sordello, I. 452. The noisy flock of thievish birds at work Among the yellowing vineyards.
1842. Tennyson, Launcelot & Guinev., ii. In curves the yellowing river ran.
1859. Gullick & Timbs, Painting, 208. The yellowing tendency of oils on blue.
1908. S. E. White, Riverman, viii. The old piano with the yellowing keys.
Yellowing vbl. sb.2: see YELLOW v.2
