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Possible definitions for quipping

quilting
Process of stitching together two layers of fabric, usually with a soft, thick substance placed between them. The layer of wool, cotton, or other stuffing provides insulation; the stitching keeps the stuffing evenly distributed and also provides opportunity for artistic expression. Quilting has long been used for clothing in many parts of the world, especially in the Far and Middle East, and the Muslim regions of Africa. It reached its fullest development in the U.S., where it was popularly used for petticoats and comforters. By the end of the 18th cent., the U.S. quilt had distinctive features, such as colored fabric sewn on the outer layers (appliqué ) and stitching that echoed the appliqué pattern.


shipping
Act or business of transporting passengers and goods by water. Early civilizations, which arose by waterways, all utilized them for transport. The Egyptians were probably the first to use seagoing vessels (c.1500 BC); the Phoenicians, Cretans, Greeks, and Romans also all relied on waterways. In Asia, Chinese ships equipped with multiple masts and a rudder were making sea voyages by c.AD 200; from as early as the 4th cent. BC the Chinese also relied heavily on internal waterways to transport food to their large cities (see Grand Canal). Japan, too mountainous to rely on roads for mass transport, also relied on internal and coastal waterways for shipping from early in its history. The spice trade was a great stimulus to shipping trade; Arabians were sailing to the spice islands before the Christian era and European merchant marines grew up largely because of it. The tea trade had a similar effect, as did the discovery of gold in the New World. From the 17th to the 19th cent., the slave trade was a major feature of Atlantic shipping. The U.S. and England were the ascendant shipping nations in the 19th cent.; Germany, Norway, Japan, The Netherlands, and France joined them in the early 20th cent. Today shipping remains a vital part of the world economy as the only viable way to transport large quantities of goods transoceanically. Many U.S. merchant ships are registered in a third nation to avoid heavy taxes. See also British E. India Co., Dutch E. India Co., French E. India Co.

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