Definition of "nosing"

nosing

verb
1. present participle and gerund of nose
noun
plural nosings
1. An animal's pushing or exploration with the nose.
  Quotations
  The hours of the day often follow such a beginning like a wagging tail follows through the nosings and affections and fireside dreamings of a happy dog.
  1982, Dave Hughes, An Angler's Astoria
2. That part of the treadboard of a stair that projects over the riser.
3. Any similar projection, such as the projecting edge of a moulding.