vbl. sb. [f. LOSE v.1 + -ING1.]
1. The action of LOSE v.1 † a. Perdition, destruction; the being lost or destroyed (obs.). b. Used, chiefly gerundially, in various senses of the vb. † To be on losing: to be in process of being lost.
a. c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. vii. 13. Weʓ ðiu lædas to losing.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1031. He most ay lyue in þat loȝe in losyng euer-more.
1530. Palsgr., 241/1. Losyng, perdition.
1597. Beard, Theatre God’s Judgem. (1631), 234. The citie beeing besieged, and in some danger of losing.
c. 1660. Wriothesley, Chron., I. 136. An armye of Gelderland … was in great daunger of loosinge.
b. 1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 295. As a goldene fischhook, þe loosynge þerof may be i-quytte by non wynnynge of taking of fische.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, II. 221. Compleyne his payne in dolour thus that duellis; In langour lyis, for losyng of thar luff.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 241. How shorte they be in duryng: how feerfull in kepyng: how sorowful in losynge.
1639. Fuller, Holy War (1647), 218. At his arrivall, the last stake of the Christians was on losing.
1668. Pepys, Diary, 1 Jan. To see how differently one man took his losing from another.
1725. J. Glanvill, Poems, 63. France shall meet with no Repair From Losings here, by healing Winnings there.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, I. 140. Odes About this losing of the child.
1900. F. T. Bullen, With Christ at Sea, iii. 53. We arrived … without … adventure except the losing of an anchor.
1901. Q. Rev., July, 178. It was the scene of Charles Fox’s chief losings at the faro table.
2. attrib. in losing-money, a payment allowed to the loser in certain competitions.
1880. Daily Tel., 7 Sept., 3/4. There is a pound per win to each man of the crew…, and there is losing money at half rates every time your boat answers the starting gun.
