Definition of "pingle"
pingle1
noun
plural pingles
(obsolete, UK, dialect) A small piece of enclosed ground.
Quotations
Matthew Smith, by his will, bearing date 20th February 1713, left two alms-houses which he had built, and four closes of land, part freehold and part copyhold, lying in the Hoppings, near Hopping-hill, in the liberty of Belper, containing, by estimation, 13 acres: and a pingle, containing half an acre, to George Gregory, esq. of Nottingham, and Thomas Goodwin, esq. of Derby, and their heirs, to the intent that the yearly rents and profits thereof should be faithfully employed by them, for and towards the relief of two poor people, to be fifty years of age when placed in the said alms-houses, the same to be paid to them quarterly.
1833, Stephen Glover, Thomas Noble, The History, Gazetteer, and Directory of the County of Derby, page 104
pingle2
verb
third-person singular simple present pingles, present participle pingling, simple past and past participle pingled
(intransitive, UK, dialect) To eat with a feeble appetite.
Quotations
The Liberal and Conservative rivals of the Socialist whole hoggers may nibble at Socialism as John Browdie pingled with the crust of the Yorkshire pie, but dry nurse and coddle the electors as they will, neither Free Traders nor Tariff Reformers can approach the large, divine, and comfortable creed of the Socialist whole hogger.
1911, Arnold White, The Views of 'Vanoc,': An Englishman's Outlook, page 319
(transitive) to bother or create work for.
Quotations
and howbeit all the Nobillmen and Gentillmen, Bisschoppis, Commissiouneries, and thair adherentis, voitit to the Bisschop Law, yit a number of the best of the Ministerie pingled them; so that , iff they had not bein devydit becaus of Mr Patrick Simpsoune's disseas and waiknes, it wes thought they sould haiff prevaillit.
1842, James Melville, Robert Pitcairn, The Autobiography and Diary of Mr. James Melvill, page 755
Quotations
noun
(obsolete) An onerous and difficult task; a hardship.
Quotations
let them garr their wives; more awkward and violent; a pingle of trifles; a counterscarse of examples; an Empericall Quack-saluer;
1612, Robert Persons, A discussion of the Answere of M. William Barlow , D. of Diuinity, to the Booke intituled: The Iudgment of a Catholike Englishman liuing in banishment for his Religion &c.
pingle3
noun
plural pingles
Quotations
We've all heard of "Double, double, toil and trouble," but as "Hallowmass" approached, Shakespeare's contemporaries would hve been just as likely to suffer from the earworm, "Mingle, mingle, in the pingle,/Join the catrip with the jingle." […] The above is a line from the Galloway Song, one of a number of Jacobean greatest hits having to do with witches.
2018, Linda Raedisch, “The Old Ways: A Bard's Halloween”, in Michael Furie, Llewellyn, Peg Aloi, editor, Llewellyn's 2019 Sabbats Almanac
pingle4
verb
third-person singular simple present pingles, present participle pingling, simple past and past participle pingled
To make a light, ringing, percussive sound.
Quotations
I recall that right after dinner Sid sat at the battered upright piano there in the dining room and pingled out a few bars of something rather classical, like Schubert's song of love.
1991, Raymond Z. Gallun, Jeffrey M. Elliot, Paul David Seldis, Starclimber: The Literary Adventures and Autobiography of Raymond Z. Gallun, page 89