Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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Brow, (Brou,) n. [ME. brow, bru, eyebrow, eyelid, OE. brú.]

1. An eyebrow. Chiefly pl. and latterly = sense 2.See also examples s.v. Bre n. and Brent a.a1400 Legends of the Saints xi. 91.
His browis brad & mad rycht wel c1420 Wynt. v. 3596.
Wytht foure eyne … Foure eyrys, and foure browys alsua c1420 Ratis Raving 1042.
Luk nocht hire browis oft betwen c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix. 1929.
[Hair] on browis and breis lycht a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 859.
Till the blude of his browis brest out abufe 1513 Doug. viii. xii. 14.
From his blyth browis brent and athir eyn 1535 Stewart 29158.
Ane lipper man … With … bowdin brow and bre c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1089.
Sore laubouryng tyll thy browis sweit 1567 Satirical Poems iii. 58.
With browis brent and twinkland cristell eine c1590 Fowler 98/36.
Whair … in euerie bree & brow might than his name bene red c1590 Ib. 138/12.
Her lipps, her cheikes, … and her brent broues a1605 Montg. Son. lv. 1.
Hir brouis, tuo bouis of ebane ever bent

2. The brow or forehead.a1500 Henr. Fab. 233.
Quhat plesure is in the feistis delicate, The quhilkis are geuin with ane glowmand brow? a1500 Doug. King Hart 953.
Beir him this brokin brow c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxviii. 4.
The magryme … Perseing my brow as ony genȝie 1535 Stewart 28786.
With mony wound … In breist, in brow, in bak a1605 Montg. Son. iv. 5.
With bendit brou and tuinkling teirs

b. The front part of a hat.1583 Edinburgh Testaments XII. 339 b.
x hattis borderit about the brow

3. The brow of a hill.1446 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 245.
Syn doun the brow til a mykill pot 1573 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 4.
The Links … betuix Sanct Nycholace chapell and Weirdy Brow 1668 Lauder Journal 187.
The face or brow of the bray of the wester hill