Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mow, n.¹ Also: mowe. [ME. and e.m.E. mow(e, mough, mowgh(e, ME. mou (Cursor M.), early ME. muȝe, OE. múȝa, múha, múwa, also in Scand. (ON. múge swath, etc.).] A large pile or heap. a. Of grain, hay, pulse, etc., esp. a pile of unthreshed grain in a barn. 1375 Barb. iv. 117.
He tuk a culter hat glowand … And went in-to the mekill hall That than with corne wes fillit all And heych vpon a mow [it] did 14.. Acts I. 346/2.
The crownaris sall haue … the corn of brokin stakkis and mowis c1475 Wall. xi. 339.
In till his bern he ordand thaim a place; A mow off corn he biggit thaim about 1542 Acts & Decr. I. 141.
In his barne ane mow of quhite ane mow of aitis … ane mow of pece price of ilk mow xl. merk 1542 Old Ross-shire I. 109.
All broken mowis called culedges or stakes of corne being in ony wayes broken by the first estait quhen they wer first bigit c1575 Balfour Pract. 566.
In brockin stakkis, beand in the barn unthreshin in mowis, or threshin lyand in heipis and bingis 1578 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 77.
xx s. for ane mow of strey and calf 1589 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 190. 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Iter. c1600 Pont Cunningham 180.
In the borne ane mow of unthressin beir 1678 Wodrow Hist. II. 429.
He and his servants went into the barn, in the one end of which was a mow of corn and in the other of bear

b. Of wood (for burning, as a pyre). 1513 Doug. iv. ix. 69.
Bot quhen the gret byng was vpbeildit weill Of ayk treys … Abuf the mowe the forsaid bed was maid