draying

draying [drey-ing] ExamplesWord Origin noun

1. the business, occupation, or activities of driving a dray.

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.

verb (used with object)

4. to convey on a dray.

verb (used without object)

5. to drive or operate a dray, especially as an occupation.
6. to convey goods by dray, especially locally or for short distances.

Origin of dray 1325–75; Middle English draye sledge; compare Old English draeg- (in drægnet dragnet), akin to dragan to draw Examples from the Web for draying Historical Examples of draying

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.

A Little Girl in Old San Francisco

Amanda Minnie Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for draying dray 1 noun

1. 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

Word Origin for dray Old English dræge dragnet; related to Old Norse draga load of timber carried on horseback and trailing on the ground; see draw dray 2 noun

1. a variant spelling of drey

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.).