examining

• IPA^(key): /ɪɡˈzæmɪnɪŋ/

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• Hyphenation: ex‧am‧in‧ing

examining

1. present participle and gerund of examine

examining (comparative more examining, superlative most examining)

1. Tending to examine or engaged in close examination; studiously observant.
   • 1732, Anthony Ashley Cooper Shaftesbury, Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times, page 299:

     How shall we be sure that we have justly quitted REASON, as too high and dangerous, too aspiring or presumptive; if thro' Fear of any kind, or submitting to mere Command we quit our very examining Thought, and in the moment stop short, so as to put an end to further Thinking on the matter?

   • 1765, John Cleland, The Surprises of Love, Exemplified in the Romance of a Day, page 7:

     Those however on whom he wanted to pass, were not of either a very examining strain, or very nice discernment: Besides that, he had such a glow of freshness, health, and vigor, so rare among the parboiled people of quality, as somewhat counterbalanced any suspicion the discordance of his looks from his dress might have created.

   • 1874, Dinah Maria Craik Mulock, The Little Lame Prince:

     He was, as a little girl I know once said of a playfellow, "a very examining boy."

   • 1881, Adeline Dutton Train Whitney, Odd, Or Even?, page 159:

     Sarell picked a fern-branch and sat in a meditative fashion, her feet drawn up a little under her and her knees elevated upon which she rested her wrists, while she slowly and carefully drew the separate green fronds through her fingers; turning and scrutinizing them in a very examining way , yet with an unmistakable air of the examination being only illustrative ; the real analysis and deliberation going on within her.

   • 2021, Rosalie Oaks, The Sapphire Library:

     However, Mrs Avely had her eyes fixed upon Elinor in a very examining sort of way.

examining (plural examinings)

1. examination
   • 1866, Thomas Belknap, testimony, in Gillian & Gillian v. Clark, Supreme Court, County of New York (page 111)

     The auditing of the accounts, when the defendant was present, was nothing more than the examinings of the footings of the bookkeeper.