1491 in T. Dickson Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1877) I. 181 Item, to the massonis of the Palis..for the pendin of thre voutis.

1497 in T. Dickson Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1877) I. 342 Item,..giffin to Wat Merlioune, for his task of Dunbar, that is the pending of the hall, bigging of Hannis toure [etc.].

1530 in H. M. Paton Accts. Masters of Wks. (1957) I. 33 For dowelling of the pending of the greit windois abone the woltis.

1693 in A. W. C. Hallen Acct. Bk. Sir J. Foulis (1894) 155 For making a kitchin chimney..the pending, mason and wrightwork.

1756 T. Amory Life John Buncle I. 207 The pending rocks in view inclosed a space of four acres.

1860 Earl Dundonald Autobiogr. Seaman i. 267 Lieutenant Hore of the marines took possession of the castle, which, by means of powder, is now levelled with the ground, and the pending rocks are blown down into the road.

1850 E. B. Browning tr. Æschylus Prometheus Bound (rev. ed.) in Poems (new ed.) I. 141 Innocent of all These pending ills.

1879 J. Timbs in Cassell's Techn. Educator IV. 119/1 To officiate as chloroformist at her then pending accouchement.

1964 Financial Times 31 Jan. 6/4 The pending abolition of R.P.M. has confused some M.P.s in deciding their attitudes.

1991 C. Tudge Global Ecol. (BNC) 88 Taken all in all..it [sc. the greenhouse effect] must be seen as the greatest of all the pending threats to present day life.

1642 J. March Argument Militia 18 The King may dissolve a Parliament when he pleaseth,..but,..pending Parliament, unadjourned, the King can neither retarde their proceedings nor take away their persons.

1726 J. Ayliffe Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani 100 Such Proceedings as are made in a Court of Judicature, (pending Suit) and after an Inhibition is decreed.

1779 J. Burgoyne Let. to Constituents (ed. 3) 7 The persons whose conduct was so put in question, should not appear at Court pending the enquiry.

1805 W. Cruise Digest Laws Eng. Real Prop. V. 146 The daughter..brought a formedon for the recovery of the estate-tail, pending which, all the proclamations were made.

1855 J. L. Motley Rise Dutch Republic I. i. iii. 205 Pending the peace negotiations, Philip had been called upon to mourn for his wife and father.

1988 K. Amis Difficulties with Girls iv. 49 The old board-room across the landing from his own office was closed pending redecoration.

1837 C. Dickens Pickwick Papers xxxiv. 373 The gentleman with the whiskers hummed a tune in the same manner as before, and pending the arrival of the toast, advanced to the front of the fire.

1894 C. N. Robinson Brit. Fleet 149 Pending the completion of the new building.

1923 S. T. Felstead Underworld of London iii. 108 The proprietor of the ‘lumber’, where stolen property is stored pending a suitable buyer, also wants his whack.

1935 E. Klieneberger in Jrnl. Pathol. & Bacteriol. 40 93 These two pleuropneumonia-like organisms..will be referred to..simply as L1 and L2 pending the coining of appropriate generic names.

1977 Lancet 16 Apr. 863/2 Sulphamethizole and alkali were prescribed pending a culture report.

1993 U.S. News & World Rep. 18 Jan. 48/1 Haitian juveniles and pregnant women are paroled pending decisions on their cases.

1642 J. March Argument Militia 39 Neither can they, in any such case, give Judgement, or declare what the Law is, except they have something judicially pending before them, upon which to ground their judgement.

1678 M. Hale Pleas of Crown 206 If an Appeal was pending, Court would cease Arraignment of Prisoner upon an Indictment till it was determined.

1764 J. Otis Rights Brit. Colonies 41 Every subject has a right to give his sentiments to the public, of the utility or inutility of any act whatsoever, even after it is passed, as well as while it is pending.

1838 W. H. Prescott Hist. Reign Ferdinand & Isabella I. i. iii. 103 To abide the issue of the pending negotiations.

1877 J. F. Rusling Great West & Pacific Coast xviii. 290 The prosperity of the East during the war, and the pending sluggishness of trade on the Coast (still continuing) were much commented on.

1946 R. Graves Poems 1938–45 30 World patents pending; tested in the shops.

1993 Evening Sun (Baltimore) 8 Apr. b1/6 The committee did as Mr. Bereano asked because it has a policy against passing laws that affect pending cases.

1957 M. Summerton Sunset Hour i. 18 I threw the folder into my pending basket.

2000 Superintendent Winter 2 3/3 It is acknowledged that you are all very busy, but Please do not put the papers in your pending basket.

1955 E. Waugh Officers & Gentlemen i. viii. 102 Guy turned over the papers in the ‘pending’ tray.

1973 J. Wainwright Pride of Pigs 50 The day clerks..booked it in—this avalanche of paper—and..tossed it into a series of ‘pending’ trays. The night clerks dealt with it.

1991 S. Smith & M. Hollis Explaining & understanding Internat. Relations (BNC) It can be seen..as an anomaly, in which case it is put in the pending tray or discarded.