Archaic present participle of despite; the act of treating with contempt or malice.
From despite (as a verb) + -ing (present participle). This form appears in older texts where 'despite' functioned as a verb meaning 'to treat with contempt.'
In Chaucer and other medieval writers, you'll find 'despiting' as an active verb—showing that contempt wasn't just a feeling but an action you could actually perform.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.