1832 P. A. Goodwin Biogr. A. Jackson i. 4 An incident then occurred, which developed the germings of a spirit.

1879 Eccl. Observer 15 Dec. 330/2 He watches and works from the germing of the seed till the golden glint is on the grain.

1905 M. I. Swift Human Submission xii. 87 Let the poor man who is perchance still religious not fear for the salvation of his soul from this new germing of his virtue.

1907 Month 109 571 Thine is the germing of the seed, and the growth of the germ.

2001 Dialogue 40 82 The innermost movement of the concept tells us that the first germing of spirit must somehow and somewhere have taken place.

1749 J. T. Needham Observ. Animal & Veg. Substances 46 The milky Juice of germing Seeds.

1796 J. Beckett Remarks Conversat. Mr. Burke's Let. 25 The seeds of germing animation were saturated with the poison.

1826 Inspector & Lit. Rev. 1 300 I am not an enthusiast in my admiration for puking infants, and prefer their company when their enlivening prattle makes known the germing mind.

1838 B. von Arnim Diary of Child 93 I was then as unblown as the young germing corn.

1880 A. W. Kinglake Invasion of Crimea (ed. 4) VI. vi. 165 As yet unrelieved by any germing sense of security.

1906 W. C. Smith Poet. Wks. 238/2 He reads the story best, who reads Ever to find some germing seeds Sprouting up to a nobler end.

1999 A. P. de Alverga Forest of Visions iii. 41 I had to overcome and give up unconditionally all my compulsive unchecked behavior, noxious to the germing consciousness.