strop
noun
any of several devices for sharpening razors, especially a strip of leather or other flexible material.
had been stropping
-
past perfect progressiveof strop.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ambassador and Chester Bowles as his Under Secretary of State, Senate Republicans had been stropping their razors in anticipation of shaving the liberal fuzz off the foreign policy notions of the nominees.
From Time Magazine Archive
