-ing

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.”.
-ing2
a suffix forming the present participle of verbs (walking; thinking), such participles being often used as participial adjectives: warring factions.
origin
pr-nunciation note
-ing3
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.
origin
-ing1
suffix
(from verbs) the action of, process of, result of, or something connected with the verb coming, meeting, a wedding, winnings
(from other nouns) something used in, consisting of, involving, etc tubing, soldiering
(from other parts of speech) an outing
word origin
-ing2
suffix
forming the present participle of verbs walking, believing
forming participial adjectives a growing boy, a sinking ship
forming adjectives not derived from verbs swashbuckling
word origin
-ing3
suffix
a person or thing having a certain quality or being of a certain kind sweeting, whiting
word origin
-ing
suffix attached to verbs to mean their action, result, product, material, etc., from o.e. -ing, -ung, from p.gmc. -unga (cf. o.n. -ing, du. -ing, ger. -ung). originally used to form nouns from verbs and to denote completed or habitual action. its use has been greatly expanded in m.e. and mod.eng. the other use of -ing is to form the prp. of verbs, and in this sense it developed from o.e. -ende (cf. ger. -end, goth. -and, skt. -ant, gk. -on, l. -ans). it evolved into -ing in 13c.-14c.