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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Passing, -yng, vbl. n. Also: -e, -ine, -yn; pasinge. [ME. and e.m.E. passing (a 1325), -ynge. (Cf. Pac(e)ing vbl. n.)]

1. The act or fact of passing, in various senses of Pas v. (cf. Passag(e n.¹ 1).

a. Of movement, in various collocations. (Cf. Pas v. 1–3, 18, 37 and 39–41).Also in non-material applications.(1) 1375 Barb. iii. 574.
Saylys [etc.] … and othir thing That wes spedfull to thar passyng c1420 Wynt. i. 586.
Alysawndyr … By that plas mad hys passyng Wytht hys ost Ib. vi. 2476 (W).
Schippis … and all other thing That speidfull wes to thar passing Ib. ix. 220 (R).
Swllway was at thare passyng All eb a1500 Seven S. 643.
He excusit his awne passing And send his newo to the king a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 135/28.
He enterit in to the house quhare His disciples var … and occupeit na place in His passynge — 1424 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 14.
Before the passing of the berer of thir ilkis lettres(2) 14.. Acts I. 11/2.
Of passing and herberyng in othir mennis landis 1551–2 Perth Guildry MS. 280 (15 Jan.).
Nor mak ane passing nor degres langlingis the calsay to that effect(3) 14.. Acts I. 9/2.
Gif ony man … in his passing hamwart sais [etc.] 1456 Wemyss Chart. 78.
Betuix the rising of the soune, the passing too of that ilke 1461 Newburgh B. Ct. 6 a.
For the vranguis passyng to the lordis curtis leftyng the minstaris of the sayd burht 1469 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 416.
Betuex the son rising & passing to rest of the same 1471 Acta Aud. 14/2.
Nocht withstanding the … passing away of the said Alexander 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 270 b.
Eftir his deces and passyn hyne in purgatore 1496 Rec. Earld. Orkney 74.
That the forsaid mill stopit the passing up and down of all fisch c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 474 (M).
In passing of pilgramagis I pryd me full meikill 1513 Reg. Privy S. I. 382/2.
Ane exemptioun … fra all passing on assis and fra all passing to ony hoistis, assemblance or wapinschewingis [etc.] a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 129/9.
He sufferit na distres in his passyng in 1563–4 Inverness Rec. I. .
For the wrangus passing vnder the schadow of the mone 1572 Canongate Ct. Bk. 359. 1611 Reg. Panmure I. xxix.
In his licence, obtenit for passine furthe of the cowntray wnder the gryt seale 1689 Murray Lyon Hist. Lodge Edinb. 126.
His falt in going from this company and passing himsalefe in the Chanongat loge(b) c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 114.
To manis sicht thar be na defferens of the pasinge of the spreit out of the body(4) 1498–9 Acta Conc. II. 321.
At thair passing furth of the sammyn [tenement] 1578 Inverness Rec. I. 261.
Decernit to haif done wrang in passing bye the kingis mylnis wyth thair suckin 1684 Brown Suppl. Decis. II. 53.
Seeing the obligement to pay annual-rent to her was a passing from all these grounds

b. fig. Death. a1450 Fifteen Ois 293.
And in the houre of my passyng Me banist pilgrame to thé bryng 1490 Irland Mir. I. 144/1.
We … sal haue eftir oure passing blis and glore eternal

c. Of time: Coming to an end. 1456 Hay I. 15/25.
The passing of the first tyme of the Cristyn faith

d. Spending or whiling away (time): Pas v. 28. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 120.
I … purposit for passing of the tyme [etc.] 1601 Elgin Rec. II. 90.
For passing the tyme on the Sabboth daye at the kyiles the tyme of preiching

e. Passing (the seals), by a legal deed: Pas v. 20. 1529 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. xlix.
[Because of extraordinary delay in] passing the seals [etc.] 1596 Boyd Fam. P. 10 Dec.
Fiftie pounds … for passing of seals and seall fies

f. Approving or officially sanctioning (a legal deed, formal proposal, etc.): Pas v. 26. 1496 Acta Conc. II. 12.
Apone the unordourely passing of our soverane lordis letters in the first, secund and thrid forme 1636 Dumbarton B. Rec. 51.
Com[missioners] to ryd to Edinburgh for opposing the passing of the Glasgow signator concerning Clyd privileges 1689 Leven & Melv. P. 347.
It was bot jimp at the passing the proclamatioun for the adjurnment

g. Serving on an assise, etc.; giving judgement on (a capital issue): cf. Pas v. 33 a-c.1513 Reg. Privy S. I. 382/2 (see a (3) above). 1539–40 Ib. II. 496/1.
Licence to … byd at hame fra all … passing upoun ony inqueistis [etc.] … for apprising of landis, serving of brevis and passing upoun mennis lyvis 1675 Edinb. Surgeons II. 132.

h. Passing (coinage) the irnis, striking (coinage): cf. Pas v. 21. 1576–7 Reg. Privy C. II. 600.
For thair panis of assayning [sic] and passing the samyn [sc. gold] the irnis

2. ? Going, or allowing to go, unpunished: cf. Pas v. 13. ?1438 Alex. ii. 2982.
The king said syne in amending That dede for dede suld by passing

3. comb. As the second element in a compound.a. With burn-, mos-: The act of crossing; a crossing-place; the right to cross. b. Hame-passing, going home. Also Away-, Doun-passing, qq.v.a. ?1438 Alex. i. 1113.
At ane lytill burne passing His hors him failȝeit of leping Ib. ii. 10562. c1420 Wynt. viii. 4590 (see Burn n. 1 (a)). 1683 Galloway P. 7 Apr.
That they are to have the mosse passing as formerlieb. a1578 Pitsc. I. 313/16.
Beseikand him … that he wald come … and meitt him … at his hame passing