a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Wisd. ii. 1 Litil and with noȝe is the time of oure lif; ther is not refreshing in the ende of a man.

c1450 (?a1400) Sege Melayne (1880) 1207 Othere refreschynge noghte many hade Bot blody water of a slade.

c1460 (a1449) J. Lydgate Minor Poems (1934) ii. 835 (MED) Quyk lusty sprynges..Do gret refresshyng and counfort to the siht.

1482 Monk of Evesham 93 Y haue euermore had yn al my peynys a swyfte refreschyng and releuyng of helpe.

1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. ccxxv. 297 Than euery man drewe to his logynge and toke their ease, and refresshing of suche as they had.

1561 T. Hoby tr. B. Castiglione Courtyer i. sig. I.iii The tunablenes of musicke..is a very great refreshing of..griefs.

1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies ii. x. 104 The nights being cold and moist, give a refreshing.

a1656 Bp. J. Hall Shaking of Olive-tree (1660) i. 35 A comfortable refreshing of sufficient sleep.

1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 665 Some sourse of consolation from above; Secret refreshings, that repair his strength, And fainting spirits uphold. View more context for this quotation

1719 G. London & H. Wise J. de la Quintinie's Compl. Gard'ner (ed. 7) 27 The refreshings and helps they are to receive by Rain, or Dew.

1798 W. Huntington Corr. Noctua Aurita & Philomela xxx. 153 I have had some uncommon seasons of refreshing of late.

1845 A. M. Hall Whiteboy I. v. 80 Irish improvements need perpetual refreshing, and, above all, Patience.

1897 Westm. Gaz. 15 Apr. 2/3 At what point..could it be said that the refreshing leaves off and the poisoning begins?

1906 C. M. Doughty Dawn in Brit. IV. xiv. 62 They journeying, all day, see no Briton chariots; That for refreshing of their teams, were driven, To valley of sweet pasture, in the rain.

1961 S. Beck et al. Mastering Art French Cooking viii. 422 A second important French technique is that of refreshing. As soon as green vegetables have been blanched..they are plunged for several minutes into a large quantity of cold water.

1991 T. Feldman Multimedia in 1990s 64 The enhancing and refreshing of existing skills..is likely to be a major theme of European training initiatives.

1418 Guildhall Let.-bk. in R. W. Chambers & M. Daunt Bk. London Eng. (1931) 73 (MED) We haue leyd þe siege afore the cite of Roan..atte which siege vs nedeþ gretly refresshing for vs and for our hoost.

1480 W. Caxton Chron. Eng. ccxxviii. 236 For defaute of vytaylles and of refresshynge they eten hors, houndes, cattes and myse.

c1570 J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1830) 211 Tending be thame to send sum pulder and uther refreshing to the toune.

1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie i. xi. 13 b The refreshings of flesh, bread and fruites which he gaue vs.

1586 T. Bowes tr. P. de la Primaudaye French Acad. I. 205 As he passed with his armie by the countrey of the Thasians, they sent him certaine refreshing of floure, & of daintie cates.

1634 T. Herbert Relation Some Yeares Trauaile 13 The good water and refreshing here obtained.

1650 S. Clarke Marrow Eccl. Hist. (1654) i. 182 Giving them corn, wine, flesh, fish, cheese, and many other refreshings.

1725 D. Defoe New Voy. round World i. 204 The English at St. Hellena are enriched by the refreshing which the East-India Ships find, that meet there.

1534 G. Joye in tr. Jeremy Prophete Pref. sig. Aiiii^v As for hir pestelent pittes, they maye holde none of thos lyuely refreshing waters whiche Criste offered vnto y^e Samaritane woman.

1558 W. Ward tr. G. Ruscelli Secretes Alexis of Piemount iv. f. 78^v It is good to annoint by and by the place with some coolinge or refreshing oyle.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iv. i. 79 Vpon my flowres [thou] Diffusest hony drops, refreshing showres. View more context for this quotation

1693 W. Congreve tr. Juvenal in J. Dryden et al. tr. Juvenal Satires xi. 232 Let us repose, While round our Heads refreshing Oyntment flows.

1730 H. Fielding Rape upon Rape i. vii. 9 I'll take but one refreshing turn, and come back to the Tavern to thee.

1797 A. Radcliffe Italian I. i. 17 The air..rose from the bay with most balmy and refreshing coolness.

1850 J. Greenwood Journey to Taupo 30 A most refreshing light beverage made from the leaves of the Kawa-kawa tree.

1871 L. Stephen Playground of Europe iii. 131 My thoughts turned to a refreshing cup of tea and a bed.

1958 Nursing (St. John Ambulance Assoc.) xv. 193 Barbiturates..are some of the most common of the hypnotic drugs used today, producing a refreshing dreamless sleep.

2003 Better Homes & Gardens Sept. 38 (caption) The stand offers..refreshing apple slushies.

1581 J. Marbeck Bk. Notes & Common Places 1073 In my presence thou hast prepared a table, that is, a refreshing consolation against them that trouble me with their temptations.

1621 F. Cartwright Life, Confession & Heartie Repentance sig. D4^v I finde God a light to mee in the midst of darknesse, and a refreshing comfort in all calamities.

1697 S. Sewall Diary 26 Jan. (1973) I. 367 These thoughts were very refreshing to me.

1723 in Sewall's Lett.-Bk. (1886) I. 14 It was exceedingly refreshing to me to hear from an ancient Acquaintance and so worthy a Friend as your Self.

1774 J. Adams in J. Adams & A. Adams Familiar Lett. (1876) 10 This is very refreshing news.

1823 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto VIII xc. 156 One good action in the midst of crimes Is ‘quite refreshing’, in the affected phrase Of these ambrosial, Pharisaic times.

1870 J. R. Lowell Rousseau in Among my Bks. 1st Ser. 333 There is always a refreshing heartiness in his growl.

1896 E. Dowson Let. 19 Mar. (1967) 346 It is a refreshing change after Paris and the Quartier.

1901 Daily Chron. 13 Aug. 3/2 In an age of jerry-built books it is refreshing to come across a volume that has taken forty years to compile.

1951 Spectator 16 Nov. 684/2 How refreshing to be back with a simple potential-Fascist-dictator after all the Commies of the more serious books.

2005 R. J. Sawyer Mindscan i. 18 I found myself standing next to an honest-to-goodness old lady: wrinkled face, white hair. Amid the surrounding denial and fakery, she was quite refreshing.

1856 E. K. Kane Arctic Explor. I. xv. 169 The decks are cleaned,..the refreshing beef-nets examined.

1697 B. Albyn Appeal to God & King 40/1 According to their unconscionable practice and expectation, I was forc'd to give them both their refreshing Fees.

1716 Parish Rec. Kenilworth in Mod. Lang. Rev. (1951) 46 327 Paid to Mr. Palmer a Refreshing fee at Christmas Sessions.

1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward I. xiii. 256 Louis, having thus, in legal phrase, added a refreshing fee to his general retainer, turned from him to address Durward.

2000 D. Lemmings Professors of Law v. 196 Two 100-guinea briefs for the House of Lords (together with the amazing sum of thirty guineas as a mere refreshing fee).

1658 A. Jackson Annot. Song of Sol. iv. 185 in Annot. Old Test. Doctrinall Bks. As the wind, it [sc. the Spirit] works quickningly, vitally, refreshingly.

1730 T. Fuller Exanthematologia ii. 259 The Spirits..are not wasted nor heated, but increas'd, refreshingly cherish'd, strengthen'd for their proper Functions.

1760 T. Jefferys Nat. & Civil Hist. French Dominions N. & S. Amer. II. 144 The wind began to blow most refreshingly from the East.

1817 J. Keats Calidore 16 To see it..Dip so refreshingly its wings and breast 'Gainst the smooth surface.

1886 F. M. Crawford Tale Lonely Parish vi She had made the acquaintance of a refreshingly young scholar.

1931 Times Lit. Suppl. 5 Nov. 862/3 Miss Helen Simpson is refreshingly modern with her ‘Woolworth craze’ at Oxford as the real villain.

1996 Times 11 May 23/3 Bass was a refreshingly unjaded survivor of the Hollywood machine.