1840 J. Duncan Nat. Hist. Bees (Naturalist's Libr.: Entomol. I) 223 The empty story which is added, may be placed above, instead of below the original stock, and the honey will thus be of a superior kind. This mode of operating is called super-ing, in contra-distinction to nadir-ing.

1868 Jrnl. Hort., Cottage Gardener, Country Gentleman 4 June 415/1 The great secret of successful bee-keeping is to possess strong combined colonies in suitable hives, offering ready facility for supering and nadiring as required.

1910 Daily News 3 June 4 I advise bee-keepers to find out the needs of the local market before supering.

1976 T. Hooper Guide to Bees & Honey vi. 128 The general rule for supering is that the bees should never be using all the comb available to them.

2007 R. Conrad Nat. Beekeeping iii. 52 Start off the honey supering process with shallow supers.

1841 New Sporting Mag. June 407 Mis Angeleaner told yew about the supering ass was to be. Wel, we was awl there, and unlike at rehearsals non of us sent no sik xcuses.

1889 Pall Mall Gaz. 30 Nov. 7/1 Supering is generally extra time work, done by men who are otherwise engaged in the daytime.

1910 G. Meek George Meek xix. 180 As to the ‘supering’, I was in several grand operas with a Moody-Manners Opera Company.

1960 Times 16 Mar. 14/6 This ‘supering’ was an exciting and not hazardless experience, for our performances were always unrehearsed.

1998 D. H. Sowell Christensen Brothers v. 109 The dancers resented supering because it was beneath their talents.