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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
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Weschyng, Was(c)hin(g, vbl. n. Also: wes(c)h(e)in(g, -eyng, -yne, vesch(e)ing, -yne, -and, was(c)he(i)n, -ine, vas(c)hing, wechin(g, wassing, weischyng, wysching, vyching, wyssing, wyissand, woshing. [ME and e.m.E. wasschunge (Ancr. R.), waschinges pl. (Manning), washing (Wyclif), wessyng (1404), waschyng (a1425), weysshyng (1480).]

1. The action of washing a part of the body of a person or animal, an instance of this. b. Hede wasching, the wasching of someone's heid, an initiation ceremony performed on someone entering a new craft, etc. See Hede-wasching n. for further examples. (Wes(c)h(e v. 1.)(a) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Prol. Rom. 328/33.
The weischyng of the discipillis feite donne be Christ(b) 1562 Inv. Q. Mary 52.
At the wesching of the pure folkis fete 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 27.
Takand befoir visitatioun the rute of Ænula in mouthe, veschand face, handis, teith & mouth with salt vater in vynter [etc.] … quhilkis thingis corroborattis the spirits & hart of man 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II 465.
For apperell furnished to his boy, for his chamber maill in Edinburgh at eightine shilling per night, for his coall, candle, and weshings(c) 1596 Melvill 375.
We mein nocht to tyne tyme in wassing of sic Moores, nor … to cast our halie things to doogges, and sett our peirles befor sic swyne(d) 1607 Crim. Trials II 536.
Cureing of his awin bairne with the said loche watter, be wasching of the said bairne, at everie nuke thairof, thryse 1623 Perth Kirk S. MS 14 May.
By wasching hir with south running watter and rubbing hir armeis with fresch butter 1633 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. V 554.
Saying that the said James … wold get more fisch in respect of your work in wasching of the cates feit in his bait waterb. 1560 Perth Hammermen 90.
[He] sall pay the rest of the sowme or ever he enter, with ane mark to his haid weshing to his entres 1585–6 Perth B. Ct. 25 Feb.
With fourtene schillingis gevin for wyn at my entres & hede vasching to the goldsmyth craft 1628 Glasgow Trades House 125.
Ane new incumir sall pay for the wasching of his heid aucht punds money to by armour withe as the deikin conweinar and remanent deikins thinks expedient

2. The act of washing in the ceremony of baptism or a similar occasion. (Wes(c)h(e v. 2.) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 1288.
Thru wescheyng of our handis here, The Haly Gast hes callit thé Of bischape to the dignite, That is schosine 1490 Irland Mir. III 5/23.
Quhen the ȝoung barne is weschin and baptist in the watter that weschin and ablucioun of the barne in the body signifyis c1520-c1535 Nisbet Heb. ix 10.
Giftis and sacrificis ar offrit, quhilk may nocht mak a man seruing perfite be conscience, aanly in metis, and drinkis, and diuerse weschingis and richtuisnes of flesch, that war set to the tyme of correctioun a1599 Rollock Wks. I 444.
The outward wasching in baptisme is not to be luikit to lichtlie

3. fig.The washing away of sin, cleansing of the soul, etc. (Wes(c)h(e v. 5.) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Titus iii 5.
Be His mercy He made vs saaf, be wesching of agane begetting, and agane newing of the Haligaast, quham [etc.] c1520-c1535 Nisbet 1 Peter iii 21 marg.
Saluatiounn is nocht ascryvit to the outwart weschyng away of the fylthynes, bot to the jnwart wyrking of the Haly Gaist 1581 Burne Disput. 10.
The administration of baptisme is properlie callit the vesching of the saul a1599 Rollock Wks. I 443.
Throuch the lavver or washing of our the new birth, or regeneration of the Halie Gaist

4. The action of washing an object, etc. to clean it or as part of the process of manufacture, mining, etc. Also proverb. Also fig. (Wes(c)h(e v. 6.) 1497 Treas. Acc. I 327.
For wesching of the chapel gere, and for a kist to turs it in, iiij s. 15… Reg. Soltre 213.
Sall hald … the ornamentis of the altaris in veschyne 1506 Treas. Acc. III 355.
To Maister David Traill for mes brede clathis, wesching of the kyrk [etc.] 1549 Treas. Acc. IX 300.
For vescheing of the puntiounes and fysche and heding of the puntiounes and otherris necessares 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II 13.
For weching of the glassin windois 1567 Acts III 39/1.
The fyne money … hes … bene maide lichtar be roungeing clipping ande wesching of the samyn 1580 Cath. Tr. 60/3.
The Donatistes … war estemed … to be maist wicked men for the wesching and scraping of the altars on the quhilks the Catholiks had offered sacrifice 1594 Haigh Mining P. xvi.
[He] sall leirne … thame [sc. apprentices] the airtis following … the wesching rosting and melting of iron and copper vre 1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 4b.
To Thomas Burd for wasching with the seiff three dayis at xx s. a day 1620 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 211.
Certane pointis of thair [sc. skinners] said tred sic as perfuming, wesching, collouring, buttoning and dressing of gluiffis 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII 10a.
Nyne mopes for wasching of housis [£3 12 s.] 1680 Torry Coal & Salt Wks. 81b.
For mending and washing pocks to the afforsaid shipsproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 560.
Gentrice japes, lyke wesching of pitcherisfig. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Ephes. v 26.
Crist luvit the kirk, and gave him self for it, to mak it haly, and clenget it with the wesching of watire 16.. Binning Serm. Wks. (1735) 567.
The blood and water might be joined, the justifying saviour, and the sanctifying spirit; for both these are in this gospel washing

b. The action of coating (a surface) with something. 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 191.
To the said Robert for the wyssing of the gret hall with calk and glew

5. The action of washing linen, clothes, etc. esp. as an occupation. (Wes(c)h(e v. 7.)(a) 1496 Edinb. Hammermen MS 15.
To Sir Thomas for wechin of the clathis sen this tym quholmonth iiij s. 1561–2 Edinb. Old Acc. II 161.
For weching of the tabill naprie, xviij d.(b) 1501 Treas. Acc. II 66.
To Maister David Traill, for wesching of clathis of the kyrk xxiij s. 1503 Treas. Acc. II 297.
To Andro Aytoun … for the wesching of the barnes clathes, xl owkis, xx s. 1520 Perth Hammermen 12.
For the clathis weshing, vi d. 1540 Misc. Hist. Soc. X 43.
For the weschyne of lady Janys clathis, iii lib. vi s. 1587 Acts III 508/1.
The saidis strangearis … sall furnishe thame … in meit, drink, clething, bedding, wesching, and wringing 1617 Dalyell Darker Superst. 85.
Dureing the tyme of the quhilk waschine of the sark, there was ane grit noyse maid be foullis on the hyll 1621 Maxwell Mem. I 333.
To the lauirar for clais weshing iij s. vi d. 1629 Banff Ann. II 250.
That the bleitching of claithe and wasching of claithes and hyidis at the water mouthe of Doverne … was ane great … hender to the salmound fischeing 1638 Moses Bundle No. 25, 1033 in Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXXI 177.
[They] sall furneische and susteine thair saidis prenteisses honestlie in meit and drink bedding and washing dureing the haill space of thair prenteischipis 1656 Acts VI ii 865/1.
[They] shall be adjudged … to be guilty of prophaning the Lords-Day; that is to say … every person working in the washing, whiting or drying of clothes … or causing such work to be done upon the day aforesaid 1664 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp in Misc. Maitl. C. II 511.
For vashing his Lordships cloathis at Edinburgh being all foull efter the journey £1 5 s. 1675 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds I 504.
[The said William is to maintain him] in meat cloaths and weshing(c) 1603 Montgomery Mem. 245.
For the wysching of my chlos xii d. 1603 Montgomery Mem. II 250.
For vyching of my cloth from Mertimes till Vitsunday

6. The flowing of the sea over something. (Wes(c)h(e v. 8.) c1515 Asl. MS I 161/21.
The red se is nocht red on kynd bot throuch baffing & wesching on red cragis & stanis

7. The act of washing before or after eating. (Wes(c)h(e v. 10.) ?1438 Alex. ii 5919.
The claith thay drew; at thair wescheing Was menstrally, mirth and singing ?1438 Alex. ii 10727.
The water furth thay brocht, The lordis was set, the meit was ȝare, And all thingis at thair lyking ware. At thair weshing spak the king, And said [etc.]

8. The action of washing away something. (Wes(c)h(e v. 11 b.) 1558 Edinb. Old Acc. I 250.
Gevin the calsay maker for inputting of ane auld stok at the west nuke of the butt, and wyissand the wattir away fra the said butt, iij s.

9. The liquid that has been used for washing. Chiefly pl. a1400 Leg. S. xxiv 323.
Fore-thi quhylym personis il Scornefully wald cum hyme til, & of the weschel the weschyng Ful oft one his hed wald flingpl. a1500 Henr. Fab. 249 (Ch.).
My dische weschingis is worth ȝour hail expence 16.. Alchem. MSS V.
Efter wasche ȝour amalgame till it be cleir … Keip ȝour wascheins for it conteins sure gold 1604 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 39.
Helene Gib … then maskit hir fatt and weische hir standis and bowyes, and tuik the waschinis thairof and watterit the four nuikis of hir hous with it

10. comb.In the above senses. a. With ball, basket, bassing, brush, clayth, coig, etc.: A piece of soap, a utensil, cloth, etc. once, a stone, used in washing. b. A building or place for washing.a. (1) 1599 Exch. R. XXIII 321.
24 s. of 2 gros washing balls 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 288.
Ballis called … weshing ballis the dozen, xii s. a1652 Dickson Psalms II (1653) 106.
He will cause their formerly deforming afflictions, to serve for washing-balls of sope 1673 Leith Customs 16a.
8 dozen washing balls 16 s. — 1591 Edinb. Test. XXII 376a.
Four paperis full of wesching pulderis at xiij s. iiij d. the pece — 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway 96.
They take the bark and cropts of sauch, which they boyl very well, with the decoction whereof they cover the hide in a tub, the decoction being first very well cool'd: this they call a washing woose(2) 1666 Edinb. Test. LXXII 194b.
Thrie meikle washing basketts — 1506 Treas. Acc. III 247.
The kingis wesching bassingis — 1575 Edinb. Test. III 293b.
Ane wesching coig — 1608 Mining Rec. 148.
Ane wesching kitt — 1629 Dumfries Test. IA 180a.
Ane weshing paile worthe viij s. — 1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 25b.
Girding the wesching tubbis and mending the wasching seiffis — 1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 21a.
Canves to be ane wesching table for the mettell — 1540 Acta Conc. MS XIII 119b.
Ane wesching tub, ane bolting tub 1560 Stirling B. Rec. I 72.
Ane wesching tub 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI 134a.
Twa wasching tubes(3) 1696 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 166.
Deburst for houshold furnitur … a flamer 4 s. caps 3 s. washen brush 6 s. — 1567 Edinb. Test. I 49b.
Tuelf burde claythis … sex wescheing claythis 1584 Edinb. Test. XIII 191b.
Twa wescheing clathis of lynning 1623 Edinb. Test. LI 328b.
Thrie wesching claithes 1654 Edinb. Test. LXVII 245b.
Tua stand of neprie with boord cloathes & weshing cloathes — 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 193b.
Tua woshing raikis of irne to the weshing tables — 1485 Lag Chart. 54.
Quhill it cum to the burn underneith the wesching [pr. westhing] stane — 1529 Household Bks. Jas. V 180.
ij vlne j quarta pannj Hollandie pro le weschin towellis 1529 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 230.
Ane wesching towell of dornik with basyne and laware of siluir 1542 Eeles King's Coll. Chapel 23.
Giffin be the parsoun off Kynkell, ane lang weschein towale 1546–7 Reg. Great S. 20/2 n.
5 vesching towellis, price of all 40 s. 1562 Will A. Betoun.
vii sewit weschin towlys, xii onsewit weschin towlys 1607 Edinb. Test. XLIII 201b.
Ane wesching towell sewit with silk and ane pin thairto v s. 1649 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 781.
Eight washing towells pryce of the peice thirteen shillings and eight penceb. 1623–4 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 154.
For ane great stoke lock to the wasching hous at Sanct Antones well 1661 Black Sc. Witches 44.
The one [meeting with the Devil] was at the washing house off Muntoune — c1520-c1535 Nisbet John v 2.
In Jerusalem is a wesching place, that in Hebrew is namet Bethsaida