Also 4–6 sweting, (4 suetyng, 5 swettyng). [f. SWEET a. + -ING3.]
1. A ‘sweet’ or beloved person; dear one, darling, sweetheart. Chiefly as an endearing term of address. arch.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 230 (Laud MS.). Hom rod him aylmer king And wit horn þe sweting.
13[?]. K. Alis., 914 (Laud MS). Cler & fair is day springyng And makeþ many departyng Bituene kniȝth & his suetyng.
c. 1440. York Myst., xl. 40. Þat swettyng was swemyed for swetyng.
c. 1530. J. Heywood, Wether, Plays (1905), 97. A special good lover and she his own sweeting.
1600. Breton, Daffodils & Primroses, Wks. (Grosart), I. 19/1. Litle birdes wowld cary tales Twixte Susen and her Sweetinge.
1740. Richardson, Pamela (1741), I. xxii. 57. A Blessing attend my little Sweeting,… wher-ever you go!
1812. Colman, Br. Grins, Vagaries Vind., xxxvii. A curate who … can boast … a sweeting, soured by care, to patch his gown.
1857. Thornbury, Songs Cavaliers & Roundh., 272. How her little heart was beating, As I clasped her round—the sweeting.
1895. A. Austin, in Blackw. Mag., April, 519. The swain and his sweeting met and kissed.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 916. ‘Nai sertes, sweting,’ he seide, ‘þat schal I neuer.’
c. 1400. Beryn, 327. Nowe mercy, dere sweting! I wol do so no more.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xii. 476. Haylle, maker of man, haylle, swetyng!
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., IV. iii. 36. How fares my Kate, what sweeting all a-mort?
1638. Ford, Fancies, II. ii. Attend within, sweeting.
1721. Cibber, Rival Fools, II. Why, how now, Sweeting—What, a whole half-hour from me?
1863. Holme Lee, A. Warleigh, III. 117. I will be patient as Job, pretty sweeting! go on.
1890. Conan Doyle, White Company, vii. I am a lonely man, my sweeting.
2. Name for a sweet-flavored variety of apple.
1530. Palsgr., 278/1. Swetyng an apple, pomme doulce.
a. 1568. Ascham, Scholem., I. (Arb.), 36. A childe will chose a sweeting, because it is presentlie faire and pleasant, and refuse a Runnet, because it is than grene, hard, and sowre.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. iv. 83. Thy wit is a very Bitter-sweeting, It is a most sharpe sawce.
1656. Beale, Heref. Orchards (1657), 18. The Gennet moyle, the Kydoddin, the Sweeting, and the French Cornell.
1878. T. L. Cuyler, Pointed Papers, 130. In God’s orchards there are … rich, juicy ‘sweetings’ like Rutherford and Baxter.
1908. [Miss Fowler], Betw. Trent & Ancholme, 379. Some remaining Pear and ‘Sweeting’ trees.
