- a suffix of nouns formed from verbs, expressing the action of the verb or its result, product, material, etc. (the art of building; a new building; cotton wadding). It is also used to form nouns from words other than verbs (offing; shirting). Verbal nouns ending in -ing are often used attributively (the printing trade) and in forming compounds (drinking song). In some compounds (sewing machine), the first element might reasonably be regarded as the participial adjective, -ing2, the compound thus meaning “a machine that sews,” but it is commonly taken as a verbal noun, the compound being explained as “a machine for sewing.”
- a suffix forming the present participle of verbs (walking; thinking), such participles being often used as participial adjectives: warring factions.
- a native English suffix meaning “one belonging to,” “of the kind of,” “one descended from,” and sometimes having a diminutive force, formerly used in the formation of nouns: farthing; shilling; bunting; gelding; whiting.
- the action of, process of, result of, or something connected with the verb
- something used in, consisting of, involving, etc
- (from other parts of speech)
- forming the present participle of verbs
- forming participial adjectives
- forming adjectives not derived from verbs
- a person or thing having a certain quality or being of a certain kind
