1588 A. Munday Banqvet of Daintie Conceits sig. I.ii^v What may better beare the name, of Beauties soueraigne gracing: Then Vertue which so decks the same, there can be no defacing.

1591 J. Lyly Endimion ii. ii. sig. D Let vs stand aside, and let him vse his garbe, for all consisteth in his gracing.

1608 S. Hieron 6 Serm. ii. 27 Haman..was..forced by the kings commaundement, to be the chiefe in the gracing and honouring of Mordecai.

1615 T. Jackson Iustifying Faith iv. ii. vii. §3 Unless his faith have quelled all trust all pride or glory in these gracings.

1710 Fanatick Feast 6 For the better gracing of the Nuptial Feast.., it was agreed..to invite to the Entertainment the principal Leaders.

1793 C. Atkinson Mind's Monitor 87 Around this he builds ornamental Gracings.

1808 E. S. Barrett Miss-led General 152 Laces, tags, points, edgings, facings, gracings, and such stuff.

1897 ‘M. Twain’ Following Equator xiii. 473 The good Hindoo peasant frescoes the walls of his hut with this refuse, and also constructs ornamental figures out of it for the gracing of his dirt floor.

1919 Eng. & Contracting 30 Apr. 23/1 The pressure being transmitted to the ground through gracings in the sides of the building.

1953 E. Marshall Caravan to Xanadu i. v. 102 The evening light from a casement at one side ignited a still, steady, unflickering, cool flame in the deep spate of pale-gold hair, and that was only one of its gracings.

1987 W. A. Van Roo Telling about God viii. 219 His gracing is a second gracing, a re-gracing of those who by sin had lost his first gift.

2003 P. Scott Polit. Theol. of Nature 55 How is this position related to the gracing of nature and humanity in the perspective of the triune God?

1659 C. Simpson Division-violist 9 Graceing of Notes is performed two Wayes; viz. by the Bow, and by the Fingers.

1744 A. Hamilton Itinerarium in Amer. Speech (1967) 42 217 He accompanied with his voice so as even to drown the violin with such nice shakings and gracings.

1771 C. Burney Present State Music France & Italy 92 Music, in which the love for what is commonly called gracing, is carried to such of indiscretion, as frequently to change passages from good to bad, and from bad to worse.

1780 T. Twining Let. 24 Feb. in Recreat. & Stud. (1882) 76 In gracing, he [sc. a singer] does the most beautiful..things I ever heard.

1836 New Monthly Mag. 48 304 Her father reduced the art of gracing more nearly to a science than any other musician of his time.

1850 Graham's Mag. Oct. 260/1 The taste for vocal gracing and adornment has increased to such a degree that it would be almost impossible to present a composition of an old master..without adding to the adornments of the original composition.

1932 A. K. Holland Henry Purcell ii. viii. 108 The author..inveighs against the practice of composing divisions, or gracings, on the melody.

1978 Early Music 6 305/1 Once having mastered the art of gracing..the player will find this music taking on previously unsuspected beauty.

2003 J. Cadden in M. Stokes & P. V. Bohlman Celtic Mod. iv. 139 While gracings in pipe tunes can certainly be considered adornment of the melody, they also serve a practical function.

1928 Star 8 June 19/3 (advt.) Gracing at Wimbledon.

1928 Daily Express 20 July 17/5 Greycing... Programmes..for tonight's greyhound racing meetings.

1935 E. C. Ash Bk. Greyhound viii. 141 Greyhound Racing, or ‘Gracing’, as it is sometimes termed, started in 1926.

1956 Civil Engin. & Public Wks. Rev. 51 1344/2 A new stand..has been completed for the Gracing Club at Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium.

1999 Bristol Evening Post (Nexis) 23 Apr. 8 But Beef Cutlet still gave a show remembered by veteran greycing fans even today.

1601 R. Chester Loves Martyr 142 In that great gracing word shalt thou be counted Louing to him, that is thy true sworne louer.

a1684 R. Leighton Theol. & Expost. Lect. (1828) 205 The apostle recommends..that gracing grace of humility.

1796 C. Burney Mem. Life Metastasio III. 387 Marchesi has revived this primitive custom of gracing recitative.

1826 Amer. Sunday School Mag. 3 233/1 The introduction of nasal twangs..unsuccessful attempts at gracing notes.

1889 C. E. Barns Portrait in Crimsons ii. 38 All the gracing glances that betray the heart of the enchanted.

1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. 535 Her sleeve, falling from gracing arms, reveals a white fleshflower of vaccination.

1974 Commentary Nov. 37/1 The authority that has been settled upon him by the gracing touch of officiality.

1996 M. G. Lawler in M. G. Lawler & W. P. Roberts Christian Marriage & Family i. iii. 44 A sacrament is a sign not only of the gracing action of God in Christ..but also of the free faith of the participant cooperating.