[f. CLIP v.2] The action of cutting with (or as with) shears or scissors.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 82. Clyppynge, tonsura.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 164. The Jewis … were also accused of clipping of money.
1560. 1st Bk. Discipl. Ch. Scot., xvi. (1836), 82. The clipping of their crownes.
1589. Pappe w. Hatchet, B iij. Which made his eares quake for feare of clipping.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., I. III. ii. (1743), 160. The silver coin of this kingdom was miserably debased by clipping.
1839. Carlyle, Chartism, viii. 160. Successive clippings away of the Supreme Authority.
1885. Saunders, in Academy, 21 Nov., 337/2. Clipping [of horses] … was only introduced from the Continent about 1825.
2. The product of this action, a small piece clipped off, a cutting, paring, shaving; a shred of cloth, a portion pared from a coin, etc.
1461–83. in Househ. Ord. (1790), 71. His parte of the clippinges and fees.
1579. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 61. The voutesafynge me by the next carrier … the clippings of your thrishonorable mustachyoes.
1689. Lond. Gaz., No. 2496/4. Convicted of having Clippings and Clipping-Tools found in his House.
1866. Reader, 28 July, 684. His clippings from popular writers.
1884. [see CLIPPER1 2].
1885. North-Eastern Daily Gaz., 26 Oct., 3/2. The tin clippings are wastefully thrown into the river.
3. Comb. † clipping-house, (a) a barber’s-shop; (b) a house in which false coin was destroyed by being clipped; clipping-shears (see quot.); clipping-time, (a) the time of sheep-shearing; (b) the nick of time. (Sc.)
1483. Cath. Angl., 67. A *Clippynge howse, tonsorium.
1567. Act 1 Jas. VI. (1597), § 19. Ordanes the Provest and Baillies … to make sufficient clipping houses.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1740. Laban ferde to nimen kep, In *clipping time to hise sep.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (1856), 2. From lambinge time … till clippinge time, which is aboute midsummer, they are called gimmer lambes.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxi. I wad likeit weel, just to hae come in at the clipping-time, and gi’en him a lounder wi’ my pike-staff.
1800. Wordsw., Michael, 174. That large old oak … Chosen for the shearer’s covert from the sun, Thence … call’d The *‘Clipping Tree.’
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Clipping-shears, shears for clipping horses, having a guard which gages the length of hair.
