vbl. sb. [-ING1.] The action of the verb CURE.
1. Healing, cure.
1382. Wyclif, Jer. xiv. 19. Tyme of curing [1388 heeling].
1588. J. Read, trans. Arcæus’ Compend. Meth., 60 b. Trie all other remedies before he proceede to these sharpe kind of curinges.
1595. Shaks., John, III. iv. 112. Before the curing of a strong disease.
1891. trans. De La Saussaye’s Hist. Sc. Relig., xxix. 258. The curing of sickness.
2. The process of preparing (fish, etc.) for keeping, by salting, drying or other means.
1672. [see 3].
1791. Trans. Soc. Encourag. Arts, IX. 174. Some observations on the curing of coffee.
1884. Manch. Exam., 25 Feb., 5/3. Efforts to encourage the growth and curing of tobacco.
3. attrib. and Comb., as (sense 1) curing-stone; (sense 2) curing-room, -stand, -yard; curing-house, a building where curing is carried on; spec. ‘the building on a sugar estate (in the West Indies) where the hogsheads of newly potted sugar are placed to harden and drain off the molasses’ (Simmonds, Dict. Trade, 1858).
1629. in Chambers, Dom. Ann. Scot., II. 31. She … had sent to the Laird of Lee to borrow his curing-stone for their cattle.
1672. W. Hughes, Amer. Physitian, 33. Athwart the end of the Sugar-house, or Curing-house (as they term it).
1791. Newte, Tour Eng. & Scot., 100. For the benefit of the Fisheries, public wharfs, store-houses, and curing-houses, should be constructed upon a moderate scale at first.
1862. Macm. Mag., Oct., 511/1. The owners of boats at Wick engage to fish for particular curers, who have curing-stands there.
Curing, var. of COVERING2. Obs., recovery.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 111. Curynge, or recurynge of sekenesse, convalescencia.
