whing

plural whings

1. The high-pitched ringing sound of an object as it whizzes past.

   "Whing, whing," went the Spaniard's shot, like so many humming-tops, through the rigging far above their heads.

   1855, Charles Kingsley, Westward Ho! The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh

present singular third person whings · participle present whinging · participle past whinged · past whinged

1. To move with great force or speed.

plural whings

1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of wing.

   When tha dumbledores hummin, craup out o’ tha cobwâll

   1869, James Jennings, The Dialect of the West of England, particularly Somersetshire, with a glossary of words now in use there; also with poems and other pieces exemplifying the dialect

   3 more examples

   The fruite is long, flat, and thinne, almost lyke to a feather of a small birde, or lyke the whing of a grashopper.

   1578, Henry Lyte, transl., A Niewe herball or historie of plantes

   Could a Taff'ta ſcarf, a long Eſtridge vvhing, / A ſtiffe Iron Doublet, and a Brazeel Pole / Tempt thee from Cambrick ſheets, fine active Thighs, / From Caudles vvhere the precious Amber ſvvims?

   1634 (first performance), William D’avenant [i.e., William Davenant], The Wits: A Comedie; […], published 1636; republished in Two Excellent Plays: […], London: […] G. Bedel, and T[homas] Collins, […], 1665, →OCLC, Act I, page 1

   we incamped in two Lines about 60 yards apart the Right whing in frunt Commanded by General Butler, the Left in the Rear which I commanded

   1791, letter from Colonel Darke to George Washington, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt, The Winning of the West, vol. 4 (1896)

1. A surname.