Hefting

There was the usual lingering hesitation which is apt to attend the taking-up of any regular or monotonous performance, shown in this instance in the prolonged scrutiny of a pick's point, the solemn selection of a shovel, or the "hefting" or weighing of a tapping-iron or drill. ❋ Bret Harte (1869)

"hefting" and sometimes weighing of birds on the barn scales. ❋ Unknown (1887)

"'Well, Ben,' says Sam, kind of hefting his sword out from between his knees, 'as your superior officer I could court-martial you for attempted cowardice and desertion. ❋ O. Henry (1886)

Dumping clothes bagged in plastic is cruel as hefting bundled meat. ❋ William Doreski (2011)

She was inspecting the Desert Eagle semiautomatic that Olam had given her, hefting the pistol to feel its weight in her hand. ❋ Mark Alpert (2011)

"I'll never own a Kindle," she said, hefting a copy of Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco from her purse. ❋ Women 2.0 (2011)

The front door opens, and out comes the family, hefting a couch. ❋ Unknown (2010)

He flipped out the inner circle and, hefting the lance, feinted at the ocean. ❋ Unknown (2009)

I collected our marking sticks from the ground, hefting my stone. ❋ W. Michael Gear (2011)

So it will be a while yet before Corvus comes online, especially because next week I'm going into hospital for a week to have the torn tendon in my shoulder repaired - hefting all those weighty words, I like to say - and afterwards will be sporting some manner of splint for a fortnight. ❋ L. Lee Lowe (2009)

“Yup,” said the surgeon, hefting them, “We can get rid of about 5-6 pounds there.” ❋ Unknown (2009)

I may in fact blow off lifting weights and running in favor of hefting boxes. ❋ Matociquala (2009)

So it's no problem carrying their luggage and hefting it into the trunk. ❋ Gillian Clark (2011)

The photography is a major part of any art project, and I get tired of hefting the kitchen table into the studio and unrolling the backdrop paper every time I want to photograph something. ❋ Unknown (2009)

And I'm knackered after three days of hefting and shlepping and sorting and shifting. ❋ Karenmiller (2010)

Bobby ignored him, hefting the aluminum boat over his head and carrying it as far into the yard as he could. ❋ Marcela Fuentes (2011)