[f. SUP v.1 + -ING1.]
1. The action of SUP v.1; drinking by spoonfuls or mouthfuls; † an instance of this, a sup. Also, swallowing up, absorption.
c. 1400. trans. Secr. Secr., Gov. Lordsh., 81. At morwyn fastyng, to take a soupyng of venegre.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 466/2. Sowpynge, sorbicio. Ibid., Suppynge al vp, or al owte, absorbicio.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Sorvo, supping vp, sorbitio.
1611. Florio, Sorbitione, a sooping or sipping vp.
[1611. Bible, Hab. i. 9. Their faces shall sup vp [marg. Heb. the supping vp of their faces] as the East winde.]
† b. attrib., as supping draught; supping meat, = 2; supping medicine, potable medicine. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, John xxi. 5. Therfore Ihesu seith to hem, Children, wher ȝe han ony soupynge thing [Vulg. pulmentarium]? Ibid. (1388), 2 Sam. xiii. 8. Sche took mele, and medlide, and made moist bifor hise iȝen, and sethide soupyngis [v.r. soupinge metis].
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 225. Make herof a souping medicyn, þat it be as þicke as hony.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 466/2. Sowpynge mete, or drynke.
1598. Florio, Sorbitello, a sip or supping draught. Ibid. (1611), Sorbetto,… any kind of thin supping broth.
1614. W. B., Philos. Banquet (ed. 2), 26. Wee must abstaine from those Sorbilia, supping meates.
1651. Wittie, trans. Primrose’s Pop. Err., III. v. 147. Hippocrates … perswades to nourish the sick with supping meats, rather than with solid meats.
2. Chiefly pl. Food (sing. a food) that can be supped; liquid food, spoon-meat; esp. broth. Now dial.
1388. Wyclif, 2 Sam. xiii. 6. Y biseche, come Thamar, my sistir, that sche make twei soupyngis [1382 two maner of potagis; Vulg. sorbitiunculas] bifor my iȝen.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, IX. xxi. 370. They bathed hym and wasshed hym and gaf hym hote suppynges til they had brought hym wel to his remembraunce.
1510. Stanbridge, Vocabula (W. de W.) B iij. Sorbitiuncula, a suppynge.
1541. Boorde, Dyetary, xxxvii. (1870), 299. Let them haue .iii. tymes in a daye warme suppynges.
1561. Hollybush, Hom. Apoth., 4. Geue him a good broth of a pollet or chycken, or els a supping of yong beafe or veele.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXII. xxiv. II. 137. Wax taken inwardly in a supping or broth.
1651. French, Distill., v. 142. You must give the patient some warme suppings all the time this medicine is working.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., Man. IV. xii. 348. Such as have lost their teeth are fain to content themselves with suppings.
1754–64. Smellie, Midwif., III. 77. I directed some Thebaick drops … with warm suppings.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Soupings, any sort of spoon-meat.
1879. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., Supping, spoon-meat of any kind, but more especially milk and water boiled and thickened with oatmeal…. Calves’ supping is food that they can suck up made with linseed … in milk and water.
