childing
adjUS, UK /ˈt͡ʃaɪldɪŋ/
Etymology From late Middle English childing (“pregnant”), from childen (“to give birth to a child”) + -ing, -inge (suffix forming the present participles of verbs, which were often used as adjectives); equivalent to child (verb) + -ing (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having a specified characteristic, nature, or quality’, and forming the present participles of verbs).
1
Archaic Able to bear children; fertile; also, pregnant, or in the process of childbirth, or having just given birth to a child.
- With fire and sword the country round / Was wasted far and wide, / And many a childing mother then, / And new-born baby died; / But things like that, you know, must be / At every famous victory.1798, Robert Southey, “The Battle of Blenheim”, in The Poetical Works of Robert Southey. […], volume VI, London: […] [Andrew Spottiswoode] for Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans, […], published 1838, →OCLC, stanza 8, page 153:
2
Agriculture, Business, Horticulture, Lifestyle Archaic Of a flowering plant: producing younger florets around an older flower.
- [page 323] Bellis minor hortenſis prolifera. Double double Daiſies or childing Daiſies. […] The chiefeſt variety conſiſteth in this, that is beareth many ſmall double flowers, ſtanding vpon very ſhort ſtalkes round about the middle flower, […] [page 324] The French call them Paſquettes, and Marguerites, and the Fruitfull ſort, or thoſe that beare ſmall flowers about the middle one, Margueritons: our Engliſh women call them Iacke an Apes on horſe-backe, as they doe Marigolds before recited, or childing Daiſies: but the Phyſitians and Apothecaries doe in generall call them, eſpecially the ſingle or Field kindes, Conſolida minor.1629, John Parkinson, “Bellis. Daisie.”, in Paradisi in Sole Paradisus Terrestris. […], London: […] Hvmfrey Lownes and Robert Yovng […], →OCLC, pages 323–324:
3
Figuratively, Obsolete Fruitful; productive.
- The Spring, the Sommer, / The childing Autumne, angry Winter change / Their wonted Liueries; and the mazed worlde, / By their increaſe, now knowes not which is which; […]c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 17, lines 111–113: