English
Etymology 1
Onomatopoeic.
Noun
en-noun

1. A high-pitched ringing sound

#*1855: Charles Kingsley, Westward Ho! The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh
#*:" Whing, whing," went the Spaniard's shot, like so many humming-tops, through the rigging far above their heads. . .
Verb
en-verb

1. To move with great force or speed

Etymology 2
See wing#Etymology|wing.
Noun
#obsolete spelling of|wing
#*1578: Henry Lyte (tr.), A Niewe herball or historie of plantes
#*:The fruite is long, flat, and thinne, almost lyke to a feather of a small birde, or lyke the whing of a grashopper.
#*1791: letter from Colonel Darke to George Washington, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt, The Winning of the West, vol. 4 (1896)
#*:we incamped in two Lines about 60 yards apart the Right whing in frunt Commanded by General Butler, the Left in the Rear which I commanded
#*1869: James Jennings, The Dialect of the West of England, particularly Somersetshire, with a glossary of words now in use there; also with poems and other pieces exemplifying the dialect
#*:When tha dumbledores hummin, craup out o� tha cobwâll
#*::An� shakin ther whings, thâ vleed vooäth an� awâ.

References
OED 2nd edition 1989

• 2007-09-19 20:59 - Rodasmith - {{obsolete spelling of}}

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