maying

M3A1Y4I1N1G2
US, UK/ˈmeɪ.ɪŋ/

noun

The celebrations traditionally held to celebrate May Day.

Scrabble 12
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Meanings

nounmaying (countable and uncountable, plural mayings)

plural mayings

  1. countablehistoricaluncountableThe celebrations traditionally held to celebrate May Day.

    […]sometimes two or three parishes joining together, had their several mayings; and did fetch in maypoles[…].

    1598, John Stow, A Survey of London
    1 more example

    SOo it befelle in the moneth of May / quene Gueneuer called vnto her knyȝtes of the table round / and she gafe them warnynge that erly vpon the morowe she wold ryde on mayeng in to woodes & feldes besyde westmynstre / & I warne yow that there be none of yow but that he be wel horsed / and that ye alle be clothed on grene outher in sylke outher in clothe

    1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “j”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIX
verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of may

Origin

From May + -ing, or may (“celebrate May Day festivities”) + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Mingay
Cite this entry
APA

maying. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maying

MLA

“maying.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maying. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maying,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/maying.

Source: maying on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.