Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Nearby Entries
-ing - 8 dictionary results

-ing

1 
a suffix of nouns formed from verbs, expressing the action of the verb or its result, product, material, etc. (the art of building; a new building; cotton wadding). It is also used to form nouns from words other than verbs (offing; shirting). Verbal nouns ending in -ing are often used attributively (the printing trade) and in forming compounds (drinking song). In some compounds (sewing machine), the first element might reasonably by regarded as the participial adjective, -ing2, the compound thus meaning “a machine that sews,” but it is commonly taken as a verbal noun, the compound being explained as “a machine for sewing.”
Compare -ing 2 .

Origin:
ME; OE -ing, -ung
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Language Translation for : -ing
Spanish: camisa, German: das Hemd, Japanese: シャツ
View 30 other languages »

-ing

2 
a suffix forming the present participle of verbs (walking; thinking), such participles being often used as participial adjectives: warring factions.
Compare -ing 1 .

Origin:
ME -ing, -inge; the var. -in (usu. represented in sp. as -inʾ) continues ME -inde, -ende, OE -ende
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

-ing

3 
a native English suffix meaning “one belonging to,” “of the kind of,” “one descended from,” and sometimes having a diminutive force, formerly used in the formation of nouns: farthing; shilling; bunting; gelding; whiting.
Compare -ling 1 .

Origin:
ME, OE -ing, c. ON -ingr, -ungr, Goth -ings
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source
-ing 1  
suff.  
  1. Used to form the present participle of verbs: seeing.
  2. Used to form adjectives resembling present participles but not derived from verbs: swashbuckling.


[Middle English, alteration (influenced by -inge, noun or gerund suff.; see -ing2) of -ende, -inde, from Old English -ende, present participle suff.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
-ing 2  
suff.  
    1. Action, process, or art: dancing.
    2. An instance of an action, process, or act: a gathering.
    3. Something necessary to perform an action or process: mooring.
    4. The result of an action or process: a drawing.
    5. Something connected with a specified thing or concept: siding; offing.
  2. An action or process connected with a specified thing: berrying.
    1. Something necessary to perform an action or process: mooring.
    2. The result of an action or process: a drawing.
    3. Something connected with a specified thing or concept: siding; offing.


[Middle English, from Old English -ung, -ing.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
-ing 3  
suff.   One having a specified quality or nature: sweeting.


[Middle English, from Old English, belonging to, descended from.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

-ing 
suffix attached to verbs to mean their action, result, product, material, etc., from O.E. -ing, -ung, from P.Gmc. *unga (cf. O.N. -ing, Du. -ing, Ger. -ung). Originally used to form nouns from verbs and to denote completed or habitual action. Its use has been greatly expanded in M.E. and Mod.Eng. The other use of -ing is to form the prp. of verbs, and in this sense it developed from O.E. -ende (cf. Ger. -end, Goth. -and, Skt. -ant, Gk. -on, L. -ans). It evolved into -ing in 13c.-14c.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

-ing

-ing\ 1. [For OE. -and, -end, -ind, AS. -ende; akin to Goth. -and-, L. -ant-, -ent-, Gr. ?.] A suffix used to from present participles; as, singing, playing.

2. [OE. -ing, AS. -ing, -ung.] A suffix used to form nouns from verbs, and signifying the act of; the result of the act; as, riding, dying, feeling. It has also a secondary collective force; as, shipping, clothing.

Note: The Old English ending of the present participle and verbal noun became confused, both becoming -ing.

3. [AS. -ing.] A suffix formerly used to form diminutives; as, lording, farthing.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source
Share :Share This: digg.comShare This: www.stumbleupon.comShare This: del.icio.usShare This: FacebookShare This: favorites.live.comShare This: www.technorati.comShare This: furl.netShare This: www.myspace.comShare This: www.google.comShare This: myweb2.search.yahoo.comShare This: myjeeves.ask.com
Search another word or see -ing on Thesaurus | Reference | Translate
Get your FREE Subscription to Dictionary.com Word of the Day
The FREE Dictionary.com Toolbar
Dictionary Thesaurus Reference
The answers are right on your browser and just a click away with Dictionary.com Toolbar.