Show Search Results Show Browse

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tow, n.1 Also: towe, towy(e, tou(e, taw(e, tau, toow(e, toll. [Cf. 19th c. Eng. fore-tow (1850), OFris. tow, Du. touwe, MLG touw(e, LG tau, ON tog.] (A) rope, also with qualifier indicating the size, type, strength or origin of the rope. Appar. sold chiefly in fathoms or by weight.(1) 1467 Reg. Dunferm. 359.
A tow of xxiiij fadome
1496 Treas. Acc. I 292.
For bering of a byrding of towis … fra the buth quhar tha wer bocht iij d.
1538 Soc. Ant. II 403.
A great towe
1553 Donaldson Cramondiana 53.
For the half towis and skemill mailles of Witsundaye and Mertimes
1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II 95.
For fyve faddom of towis that past with the cheiff and was layd to the cabill, vj s. viij d.
a1568 Sempill in Sat. P. xlvi 21.
For falt of hemp tak hary towis
1589 Edinb. Test. XXI 89.
xxij pund … of towis price of the stane xxxvj s.
1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Funis, retinaculum, a towe or rape
1598 Edinb. Test. XXXI 319b.
Sex bunschellis of towis at iij s. iij d. the bunschell
1628 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 232.
12 fadome of ane Flemis tow weyand 7 pund wecht and ane half pund at 4 lib. the staine
1686 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 11 Sept.
For spicing a tow
(b) 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III 370.
For … ij½ stane of tollis
1522 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 209.
Ane pair of woll scheris, ane Danskyn toll ane pair of mustarstanis
(c) 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 162.
Ane stane wecht of tawis price thairof lx s.
1643 Dumfries Treas. Acc. MS 21.
Twentie pund weight of great tawes
(d) 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 137.
2 fadome toowes
(e) 1697 Cramond Cullen Ann. 70.
To ane bearer for goeing to Portsoy for toues 3 s. Given for the saids ropes 17 s.
proverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 183.
A strong theif sould have a stark tow
(2) 1496 Treas. Acc. I 298.
For xvj fawdom of small tow, xvj d. … for xxiij fawdome of gretare tow, iij s.
1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I 236.
Ane pece of new tow that wes in ane kist contenand vij fawdoum

b. In examples where the use is made clear. With or without qualifier. Also attrib.The word tow was clearly used to cover rope of all types and strengths. Rope was used extensively but most commonly in a nautical context, in building work, as halters for horses, traces for carts, and for tying up or executing wrongdoers. See Anker-tow n., Bell-tow, Cabil(l)-tow n., Drawing vbl. n. 2 b, Ere-ledder n., Haling vbl. n.1, Hedetow n., Pak n.1 5, Pakking vbl. n. 3, Palȝo(u)n(e n. 5 (1), Quhite adj. A 1 g (5), Rakking ppl. adj., Swing n. 2 and Takil(l n. 4 for further examples.(1) 1467 Reg. Dunferm. 359 (see Land n.1 1 e).
Land toll
1503 Treas. Acc. II 408.
For sex score fawdoum of small tollis to mend the said nettis
1529–30 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 17.
For xii faddum of small towis for knyttillis and bandis to the cart graitht and the binding of the cart hors in the stable
1538 Treas. Acc. VI 420.
For xiiij faldome of grete towis to bynd the cofferis
1538–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 258.
For ane gret cordell to the windes iiii lib. x s. for ane uthir smaller cordell tow to the windes with the v pillies xxx s. for x stanis and ane half towis sindry sortis for making skaffaltis gyraippis traissis and grayth to cartis
1555–6 Edinb. B. Rec. II 322.
For small towis to haill the tymmer
1575 Orkney Oppress. 11.
Took furth of her [sc. a ship] 2000 Spanȝe ryallis or thereby … and her haill tows, anchors, and sails
1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 42.
A great tow to haill up the said cannoun for redress thairof being tuyse brokin
1626 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 198.
Thrie bunsche of small towis to be bak raipes and bellie braissis
1628 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 233.
iiii fadome of small merling towes
1663 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 178.
Appoints the fleshe tows to be lifted furth of thair stances … and to be placed … on both sydes of the streit in order and distance as they now stand
1678–9 Arbroath Old Doc. 12/2.
Ten fathome of small towes to mend the drum
1681 Fawside Coal Compt 82.
For a pair of kairt tous 16 s. 8 d.
1686 Depred. Clan Campbell 24.
Ane anchor tow, 50 fadom length, valued to 20 lib.
(2) 1496 Treas. Acc. I 277.
Giffin to the boy that brocht the towis, to clym the halk nest in the Abbotis Crag
1501 Treas. Acc. II 82.
For xiiij stane of towis to be trases to the cartis in Strivelin, ilk stane iiij s. ix d.
1512 Treas. Acc. IV 293.
For ane tow to boyrapis to the gret schip
1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 36.
Ane tow of xxi faddwm for lifting and rasing of gestis
1540 Treas. Acc. VII 320.
To be palȝeoun cordis, ane stane of towis
1540–1 Treas. Acc. VII 426.
Towis to be binding and collaris to the quenis hawknayis
1552 Treas. Acc. X 117.
Thre stanis of towis, coft to be tressis to draw the said four falconis
1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I 77.
The hale towis and bussumis usit be the lokman
1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. I 137.
For towis to bind the fallow that wes skurgit
1561 Treas. Acc. XI 115.
Ane stane xiij li. of towis to be anker and cabillis … and for towis to be bowtrage
1575 Orkney Oppress. 11.
They were holden twa hours at the gallows foot, and ane tow about their neck
a1578 Pitsc. I 175/29.
His handis bound witht sic ane tow of hempt lyk ane theif
1582–3 Misc. Spald. C. V 55.
xiii fadome of towis to the freiris knok
1597 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 22a.
For the mene tard our tous vi gros
1589-1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 62a.
For ii small pes lyns to bind our toues xxv s.
1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 66a.
For towyes our the water gewene to ane boye iii poundis
1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 68a.
For charges and weing of the toue and cordell xxxv gros
1600–2 Montrose Treas. Acc. MS.
Four dailis to the [wind] miln xx s. For ane tow to hald hir x s.
1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 131.
For 9 fadum of towes to be helters and bindingis to the hors at 18 d. faddum
1624 Old Dundee I 418.
To hold upon and within the door at the foot of the trein trap ane sufficient cord or tow with ane pais of lead or stane at the end thereof, for holding of the said door
1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 22 Nov.
For towis to hing your lordships clothis wpon in the chalmer
1645 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 47.
Four towes for heissing vp and doun the barrowes
c1650 Spalding I 29.
He cam doun over the castell wall vpone towis brocht to him secretlie
1680 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. 3 Ser. XXXVIII 163.
To send with eney honest skipper the taus thatt packet my skinns
1691 Culross II 11.
A tow to the tolbuth bell
1696 Compt in Argaty Estate Papers (SRO) Bundle 102.
For the coffine & tollis thereto
(3) 1501 Treas. Acc. II 26.
For ij½ dosane courting ringis, xv d. … for v fawdom of smal tow to the samyne, v d.
1504–5 Treas. Acc. II 294.
For the ringis to the said vail, … for xx fawdom gretar toll to draw it with
1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 85.
viii faldom of tow for trassis to the cart hors
1535 Stewart 280.
On to the se he bownit sone agane, With bark and boit, … With tow and takill, anker, saill, and air
1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II 285.
xviij faddome of tow to draw the watter
1574–5 Haddington Treas. Acc. 7.
Thre faldome and half of towe to be ane bell stryng
1585 Elphinstone Mun. 23.
Certane sowmes of tow for drawing the ordinance
1581-1623 James VI Poems I 243/393.
& all the small artillerie consumed thaire shottis belou In killing men or ellis to cutt sum cable strong or tou [1591 towe]
c1650 Spalding I 81.
Four schippis brak louss, for nather tow nor anker culd hald them
1696–1700 Wauchopes 36.
For 6 ston 3 pound the windoes tow, 3 lib. 6 s. 8 d. per stone

c. attrib. and comb.attrib. 1661 Funeral Acc. I 5 (M. of Montrose).
[At the raising of the coffins] 5 staine of tow flax to stop the coffines at 4 lib. the staine
1697 Edinb. Test. LXXX 254 (see Wek(e n.).
Tow weiks
comb. 1598 Mill Mediæv. Plays 298 marg.
Tow man
1664 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 639.
Ane Glasgow merchand only, ane towmaker with his wyfe and chyld

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Tow n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/tow_n_1>

44490

dost

Hide Advanced Search

Browse DOST:

    Loading...

Share: