Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Noun.

The act of discussing or arguing; discussion.

Debating society

Debating club

a society or club for the purpose of debate and improvement in extemporaneous speaking.

ppr.

Disputing; discussing; contending by arguments.

DEBAUCH', v.t. [The general sense of debauch, in English, is to lead astray, like seduce.]

debating

debating ‎(plural debatings)

The act of taking part in a debate.
- William Cobbett
  As to the debatings, the mind of every man in the country was made up, long before, very long indeed before those debatings began […]