BREECHING
Noun
breeching (plural breechings)
The ceremony of dressing a boy in trousers for the first time.
A conduit through which exhaust gases are conducted to a chimney.
(nautical) A rope used to secure a cannon.
(equestrian) A component of horse harness or tack, enabling the horse to hold back a vehicle.
Source: Wiktionary
Breech"ing, n.
1. A whipping on the breech, or the act of whipping on the breech.
I view the prince with Aristarchus' eyes, Whose looks were as a
breeching to a boy. Marlowe.
2. That part of a harness which passes round the breech of a horse,
enabling him to hold back a vehicle.
3. (Naut.)
Definition: A strong rope rove through the cascabel of a cannon and secured
to ringbolts in the ship's side, to limit the recoil of the gun when
it is discharged.
4. The sheet iron casing at the end of boilers to convey the smoke
from the flues to the smokestack.
BREECH
Breech, n. Etym: [See Breeches.]
1. The lower part of the body behind; the buttocks.
2. Breeches. [Obs.] Shak.
3. The hinder part of anything; esp., the part of a cannon, or other
firearm, behind the chamber.
4. (Naut.)
Definition: The external angle of knee timber, the inside of which is
called the throat.
Breech, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Breeched; p. pr. & vb. n. Breeching.]
1. To put into, or clothe with, breeches.
A great man . . . anxious to know whether the blacksmith's youngest
boy was breeched. Macaulay.
2. To cover as with breeches. [Poetic]
Their daggers unmannerly breeched with gore. Shak.
3. To fit or furnish with a breech; as, to breech a gun.
4. To whip on the breech. [Obs.]
Had not a courteous serving man conveyed me away, whilst he went to
fetch whips, I think, in my conscience, he would have breeched me.
Old Play.
5. To fasten with breeching.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition