English

Noun

whing ‎(plural whings)

1. A high-pitched ringing sound
   • 1855: Charles Kingsley, Westward Ho! The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh

     " Whing, whing," went the Spaniard's shot, like so many humming-tops, through the rigging far above their heads. . .

Verb

whing ‎(third-person singular simple present whings, present participle whinging, simple past and past participle whinged)

1. To move with great force or speed

Etymology 2

See wing.

Noun

whing ‎(plural whings)

1. Obsolete spelling of wing
   • 1578: Henry Lyte (tr.), A Niewe herball or historie of plantes

     The fruite is long, flat, and thinne, almost lyke to a feather of a small birde, or lyke the whing of a grashopper.

   • 1791: letter from Colonel Darke to George Washington, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt, The Winning of the West, vol. 4 (1896)

     we incamped in two Lines about 60 yards apart the Right whing in frunt Commanded by General Butler, the Left in the Rear which I commanded

   • 1869: James Jennings, The Dialect of the West of England, particularly Somersetshire, with a glossary of words now in use there; also with poems and other pieces exemplifying the dialect

     When tha dumbledores hummin, craup out o’ tha cobwâll

     An’ shakin ther whings, thâ vleed vooäth an’ awâ.

References

• OED 2nd edition 1989