[f. LOOK v. + -ING1.]
1. The action of the vb. LOOK; look, gaze.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 145. Þer scal beon … Lokinge wið-uten winkinge.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 50. Vor nabbe ȝe nout þene nome … of tollinde lokinges.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 1048. Þurȝ woȝe & wone my lokyng ȝede.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 119. Crokidnes, or ellis lokynge asquynt of þe iȝen.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 17. The eldest suster [was] for her highe and unferme loking forsaken.
1567. Gude & Godlie Ball. (S.T.S.), 74. The prydeful luking of my eine.
c. 1592. Marlowe, Jew of Malta, III. i. Zoon’s what a looking thou keep’st!
a. 1716. South, Serm. (1823), IV. 318. Anger passes, in the gospel account, for murder; and looking and lusting, for adultery.
1821. Byron, Heav. & Earth, iii. 92. After long looking o’er the ocean wide.
1861. J. Edmond, Childr. Ch. at Home, ix. 138. Looking is seeing with attention.
Proverb. a. 1624. Bp. M. Smith, Serm. (1632), 154. By looking comes liking, you know the proverb.
b. With adverbs.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 86 b. Whiche for ones lokynge backwarde was turned in to a salt stone.
1840. Browning, Sordello, III. 361. Which evidence you owed To some slight weariness, some looking-off Or start-away.
1870. J. H. Newman, Gram. Assent, II. x. 412. A sensitive looking-out in all that happens … for tokens [etc.].
1871. G. V. Smith, Bible & Pop. Theol., xxiv. 248. Any conscious looking forward by the writer to a greater and more genuine sacrifice to come.
c. With prepositions, used absol., or advs. Looking after, on, to, unto, care, attention; looking for, expectation; looking over, inspection. † To give (a person) the looking on: to look on without interference or participation in his activity.
c. 1513. More, Rich. III. (ed. Lumby), 33. The yonger, which besides his infancie that also nedeth good loking to, hath a while ben so sore diseased [etc.].
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 11 b. Or if the Frenche kinge warre upon Charles…, shall he geve them the lokyng on? [L. num ociosus erit spectator?] Ibid., 64 b. His advise and counsell, whiche unlesse they woulde folowe, he would gyve them the lokyng.
1611. Bible, Heb. x. 27. A certaine fearefull looking for of iudgement.
1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., To Rdr. 21. To make the People believe … that Religion is worth the looking after.
1722. De Foe, Plague (1840), 44. If any person visited do fortune by negligent looking unto … to come … from a place infected.
1832. Tennyson, Miller’s Dau., 241. That loss but made us love the more, With farther lookings on.
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer (1891), 328. My old horse … wants a bit of looking after now.
1895. R. Kipling, in Pall Mall Gaz., 29 July, 2/1. Mowgli always attended a Looking-over.
† 2. Supervision, care, charge, custody. Obs.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 360 (Camb. MS.). Aylmar, þe gode kyng, Dude him on mi lokyng.
1340. Ayenb., 8. To ham þet habbeþ þe lokingge ous to teche. Ibid., 128. Þe zeneȝere is ase þe ilke þet is ine prison … and ine greate lokinge.
† 3. Decision, judgment. Obs.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7409. Þat vpe þe popes lokinge of rome he ssolde it do.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 86. Philip … askid if þei wild stand to þer lokyng.
† 4. Look, expression of countenance, appearance. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17288 + 108. His lokyng was als briȝt os is þe rede lempninge.
1388. Wyclif, Dan. ii. 31. The lokyng [Vulg. intuitus] therof was ferdful.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 4707. Wene ye that hir louely looking Pleaseth vs any maner thing As it dooth you.
1610. Shaks., Temp., II. i. 309. Why how now hoa; awake, why are you drawn? Wherefore this ghastly looking?
5. attrib.
1519. Horman, Vulg., 281 b. Order me a lokyng place in the play.
1552. Huloet, Lokynge place to se about, theatrum.
1670. Dryden, 1st Pt. Conq. Granada, IV. ii. Wks. 1883, IV. 94. But yet my toil May be rewarded with a looking-while.
1843. Marryat, M. Violet, xi. A dog would … squat upon his looking-out place.
