1497 in M. Oppenheim Naval Accts. & Inventories Henry VII (1896) 141 The preparing and reparacion with other necessaries for the Kynges..shippe.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Judith vii. 2 There were..two & twentie thousande horsmen, besyde the preparynge [ Wyclif redi cumpanyes] of them y^t were wonne.

1541 G. Joye Frutefull Treatis Baptyme & Lordis Souper sig. D Nether to attribute any thing to our selues for our own worthey preparingis.

1586 D. Rowland tr. H. de Mendoza Pleasant Hist. Lazarillo (1672) ii. 75 Whilst dinner was in preparing, they sported with the Gentlewoman.

1608 R. Johnson Hist. Seuen Champions Christendome (new ed.) i. v. 49 The preparing of fresh horses to follow them, and the mustring of souldiers to pursue them.

a1648 Ld. Herbert Life Henry VIII (1649) 52 While these things were in preparing, Mary the French Queen was..Crowned in S. Denis.

1706 Phillips's New World of Words (new ed.) at Deflagration The preparing of Sal Prunellæ and Regulus of Antimony.

1748 B. Robins & R. Walter Voy. round World by Anson (ed. 2) iii. iii. 436 The killing and preparing of [1748 (ed. 1) to kill and provide] provisions.

1816 J. Austen Emma I. xiii. 238 The preparing and the going abroad in such weather, with the sacrifice of his children after dinner, were evils, were disagreeables at least. View more context for this quotation

1859 C. Dickens Tale of Two Cities iii. ix. 209 It seems to be one of the kind smoothings and preparings of the way.

1884 Manch. Examiner 6 Oct. 4/5 The preparing or mordanting of the stocking (before any dye whatever had been used).

1941 F. Bryan in J. F. Dobie et al. Texian Stomping Grounds 8 Old Negroes..attended to the important task, the preparing of the evening meal.

2000 A. Bourdain Kitchen Confid. (2001) 39 The terrifying Chef Bagna..made the simple preparing of vegetables a rigorous program on a par with Parris Island.

1606 F. Cacot & T. Tuke tr. W. Perkins Treat. Manner & Order Predestination 165 Preparing grace is that, whereby it is giuen vs to consent vnto God offring grace, or whereby the mind and wil are prepared, that they may yeeld assent and obedience to the holy spirit.

1615 J. Stephens Satyrical Ess. (1857) 145 That mountebanks preparing oyle which kept his hands unscalded.

1675 C. Cotton Burlesque upon Burlesque 35 After a few preparing rings, He makes his stoop.

1938 R. Hum Chem. for Engin. Students xxi. 573 The sodium salt of metastannic acid..has the formula, Na₂SnO₃.3H₂O. It is known as ‘preparing salt’, and is used as a mordant in dyeing.

1942 Proc. Royal Soc. A. 180 167 The zinc was..degreased..with a solution of alum in nitric acid (a lithographic preparing solution).

1999 St. Cloud (Minneapolis) Times (Nexis) 30 Jan. 8 e Rick first applied a preparing solution, then spread the thin 70 percent glycolic acid liquid onto my 40-plus-year-old skin.

1829 T. Flint George Mason iv. 61 The minister..withal smelt the flavor of the preparing dinner so keenly, that he hurried through his reluctant services as fast as possible.

1864 S. B. Warner Old Helmet I. i. 21 The other figures, the dark walls and ivy, the servants and the preparing collation, were only a rich mosaic of background for those two.

1889 G. Gissing Nether World II. i. 7 He was smiling placidly, now at the preparing breakfast, now at Clem.

1655 T. Fuller Church-hist. Brit. iii. Ded. No mortal man can assign the minutary juncture of Time, when preparing grace..ended, and saving grace..did first begin.

1673 R. Baxter Christian Directory 188 It is apparent that almost all Gods preparing Grace consisteth in exciting and improving the Natural Principle of self-love in man; and manifesting to him, that if he will do as one that Loveth himself, he must be a Christian, and must forsake sin.

1779 W. Cowper in J. Newton & W. Cowper Olney Hymns ii. 106 Father of mercies, we have need Of thy preparing grace.

1874 J. W. Watson & M. J. Evans tr. J. J. van Oosterzee Christian Dogmatics 673 The preparing grace (gratia præveniens), whose work has with full right been more closely observed by the later rather than by the earlier Dogmatics.

a1618 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Diuine Weekes & Wks. (1621) i. vi. 129 The Blood, and Spirits, wandering Through the preparing vessels crooked Ring.

1684 Aristoteles Master-piece xiv. 108 (heading) A description of the Wombs Fabrick, the preparing Vessels, and Tisticles in Women, as also of the different, or Ejaculatory Vessels.

1730 Philos. Trans. 1729–30 (Royal Soc.) 36 274 The worm's mouth;..the ovary fill'd with innumerable eggs;..the preparing vessels.

1736 H. Chamberlen tr. F. Mauriceau Dis. Women with Child (ed. 7) ii. p. xx Every Woman hath two Testicles as well as Men, being also for the same Use, which is to convert into fruitful Seed the Blood that is brought to them by the Preparing Vessel.

1683 in S. Annesley Contin. Morning-exercise Questions i. 29 Who is it that meets not with some (almost) overwhelming changes in his life, and doth (or should) preparingly expect his greatest change at Death?

1816 L. Hunt Story of Rimini iv. 244 ‘A noble word’, exclaimed the prince, and smote Preparingly on earth his firming foot.

1859 E. Fay Rejoinder to I. W. Allen's Pseudo ‘Hist.’ of Antioch Coll. 27 He would..go to the students, and preparingly to keeping on friendly terms with them, would insinuate that he voted differently.