towellingtowelingn.
/ˈtaʊəlɪŋ/ I. The fabric, or a piece of this.
1.
a. Linen cloth to be made into towels; material for or of towels.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric for specific purpose > [noun] > for towels
towelling1582
bath-towelling1880
roller towelling1881
1582 Rates Custome House (new ed.) sig. Bvj v Diaper toweling the peece xxx.s.
1640 Tables Rates & Duties in J. Entick New Hist. London (1766) II. 167 Damask for towelling and napkenning.
1862 Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 3742 Sheetings, towellings, huckabacks.
1880 ‘Ouida’ Moths II. 19 A dozen yards of bath towelling.
b. A piece of this material, a towel.Apparently an isolated use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > washing > washing oneself or body > [noun] > rubbing with towel > towel
towel?1284
diapera1616
twell1837
towelling1845
1845 R. Browning Flight of Duchess xi, in Bells & Pomegranates No. VII: Dramatic Romances & Lyrics 14/2 To wash the hands of her liege In a clean ewer with a fair toweling.
II. The action of rubbing or drubbing.
2. Rubbing with, or application of, a towel.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > washing > washing oneself or body > [noun] > rubbing with towel
towelling1859
1859 C. Dickens Tale of Two Cities ii. xi. 91 A correspondingly extra quantity of wine had preceded the [wet] towelling.
1864 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend (1865) I. i. vi. 54 His head was soon in a basin of water, and out of it again, and staring at her through a storm of towelling.
1911 ‘Q’ Shining Ferry (new ed.) iv Her cheeks glowed after a vigorous towelling.
3. slang. A beating, drubbing, thrashing.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impact > striking > beating or repeated striking > [noun] > specific object a person
threshingOE
sousingc1580
rib-roast1595
basting1599
swingeing1603
cuffing1610
lamming1611
rib-roasting1613
mauling1621
pinking1637
drubbing1650
diverberation1651
verberation1661
trimming1675
rib1699
thrashing1720
dousing1721
fagging1746
bumping1751
dusting1799
clapperclawing1806
milling1806
hiding1809
punishment1811
doing1814
bethumping1831
mugging1846
jacketing1850
frailing1851
pasting1851
towelling1851
tanning1863
fum-fum1885
ribbing1894
paddywhack1898
tanking1905
beating-up1915
shellacking1931
sloshing1931
clobbering1948
twatting1963
duffing-up1967
society > authority > punishment > corporal punishment > [noun] > beating > instance of
threshingOE
fustigation1428
breeching1520
trouncingc1550
bace1575
firking1594
belting1602
knave's grease1602
oil of baston1604
oil of birch1604
oil of hazel1604
oil of holly1604
oil of whip1604
lamb-pie1607
lamming1611
drubbing1650
vapulation1656
warming1681
floggation1688
working over1695
cullis1719
thrashing1720
halberd1756
licking1756
dressing1769
leathering1790
nointing1794
dusting1799
teasing1807
hiding1809
whopping1812
thrumming1823
toco1823
flaking1829
teaser1832
lathering1835
welting1840
pasting1851
towelling1851
whaling1852
hickory oil1855
swishing1859
slating1860
going-over1881
six of the best1912
belt beating1928
ass-kicking1943
stomping1958
seeing to1968
butt-kicking1970
1851 H. Mayhew London Labour I. 421/1 I got a towelling, but it did not do me much good.
1906 Blackwood's Mag. Apr. 446/2 The towelling administered to a dog..was not pleasant to behold.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online September 2019).
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n.1582- to make a full sethe
- to make a funny face
- to make a fuss about
- to make a fuss of or over
- to make a fuss of or over with
- to make a game at
- to make a game of
- to make a game on
- to make a get
- to make a getaway
- to make a girdle about
- to make a girdle round about
- to make a go of
- to make a go of it
- to make a gold
- to make a good face
- to make a good fist
- to make a good job of
- to make a good landfall
- to make a good penny of, by, from
- to make a good show
- to make a good thing of
- to make a good thing out of
- to make a good, etc, go of
- to make a good, poor, etc, showing