Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Wowar, -e(i)r, n.¹ Also: wawar. [ME and e.m.E. woware (Ancr. R.), wower (1377), wooer (1546), OE wóᵹere.] a. A wooer, chiefly a man who woos a woman. Also proverb. See Owar n. for a further example. b. comb.a. a1500 Henr. Bludy Serk 104.
Woweir 1513 Doug. iv Prol. 196 (Ruddim.).
Traist not all talis that wantoun wowaris [Sm. wower] tellis, Ȝou to defloure purposyng and not ellis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2152 (B).
Fair dame gif ȝe wald be a wowar To pairt ȝow twa I haif a powar a1568 Scott xxxiv 89.
Ȝe wantoun wowaris [M. wowarris] waggis With thame that hes the cunȝe c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxvii 2.
Antinous, vith monie wowaris, than Did preis for to suppryse, & bring to schame, Penellope(b) a1500 Peblis to Play 233.
Quhen the winklottis and the wawaris twynnitproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 156.
Aples and new aile quo the wower, drownit mice and cald kaile quo the maid a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1541.
There was never a pure wower nor a rich deid manb. 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 300.
Gentill dow … So pryklyng hyr greyn curage forto crowd In amorus voce and wowar soundis lowd