[f. as prec. + -ING2.] That sweats, in various senses.
1. Exuding sweat, perspiring.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IX. 241. With swynke and with swot, and swetynge face.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 25. With this she ceazeth on his sweating palme.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1653), 349. Gently provoke him to be in a sweating manner.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., II. 96. The sweating Steers unharness’d from the Yoke.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, VIII. 629. Each his sweating steeds released.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 728. Warm sweating hands are best treated with weak alkaline baths.
2. Exuding or condensing moisture, etc.: see SWEAT v. 10.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 411. It … sticketh fast … upon moyst or sweating rockes.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., 15. A sweating Impe of the euer-greene Laurell.
1718. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. to C’ess of Bristol (1887), I. 236. [He] gravely asserts, that he saw in Sancta Sophin a sweating pillar.
3. Toiling; toilsome, laborious.
1586. A. Day, Eng. Secretary, II. (1625), 58. The long sweating paines, wherein your good selfe … haue lately trauelled.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., I. xlix. None felt hard labour, or the sweating plough.
1674. Bunyan, Light in Darkness, II. Wks. (ed. Offor), I. 435. Believing is now sweating work; for Satan will hold as long as possible, and only steadfast faith can make him fly.
4. spec. a. Working overtime. b. Exacting hard work for very low wages. (See SWEAT v. 5 c, 6 b.)
1850. Carlyle, Latter-d. Pamph., v. (1872), 133. Poor sweating tailors.
1886. Echo, 1 Dec. (Cassell’s). Recently a trade journal published a list of sweating firms in the clothing trade.
Hence Sweatingly adv., in or as in a sweat.
1578. Banister, Hist. Man, V. 65. The intercourse of Veynes and Arteries … in those partes sweatyngly poure forth bloud.
