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draying

[drey-ing]
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noun
  1. the business, occupation, or activities of driving a dray.
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Origin of draying

First recorded in 1855–60; dray + -ing1

dray

[drey]
noun
  1. a low, strong cart without fixed sides, for carrying heavy loads.
  2. a sledge or sled.
  3. any vehicle, as a truck, used to haul goods, especially one used to carry heavy loads.
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verb (used with object)
  1. to convey on a dray.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to drive or operate a dray, especially as an occupation.
  2. to convey goods by dray, especially locally or for short distances.
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Origin of dray

1325–75; Middle English draye sledge; compare Old English draeg- (in drægnet dragnet), akin to dragan to draw
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for draying

Historical Examples

  • Tiring of the sea he put his earnings in a draying enterprise.

    Port O' Gold

    Louis John Stellman

  • Building up the burned district, draying around the bay in every conceivable branch.

British Dictionary definitions for draying

dray1

noun
    1. a low cart without fixed sides, used for carrying heavy loads
    2. (in combination)a drayman
  2. any other vehicle or sledge used to carry a heavy load
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Word Origin

Old English dræge dragnet; related to Old Norse draga load of timber carried on horseback and trailing on the ground; see draw

dray2

noun
  1. a variant spelling of drey
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for draying

dray

n.

mid-14c., Middle English noun derivative of Old English dragan "to draw," originally meaning a cart without wheels that has to be "dragged" (cf. Old Norse draga "timber dragged behind a horse"); see drag (v.).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper