A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Scow, Skow, n. Pl. also skous. [Du. schooven, pl. of schoof a sheaf of corn, a bundle of osiers or staves, a stave.]
1. A strip of wood; a lath1495 Acta Conc. I 396/1.
Twa hogheddis twa barellis with skowis & girthstingis 1523 Dundee B. Ct. I fol. 143 (15 May).
vij s. & iij d. … for xxxij knaphold & xv skowis that wantit 1524–5 (c1580) Edinb B. Rec. I 221.
Thai had maid expenssis vpoun the standand graith of the commoun mylnis in stra, scowis [etc.] 1547 Reg. Privy S. III 376/1.
Ane lettir … makand him cowper … with … power … to by … geir pertening to his occupatioun, sik as knappettis, skows, girdstingis 1550 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 6 (16 Oct.).
Andro Kemp has enterit his schip with this tymer foloing … twa thousand scowis [etc.] 1581 Edinb. Test. X 222b.
Ten hundreth lx skowis to be barrellis price of the hundreth xxx s. 1583 Dundee Shipping L. 210.
jm deillis a hundreth ruif tymmer a scoir of corbellis & the rest skowis 1592 Exch. R. XXII 246.
Certain timber called scowis 1594 Edinb. Test. XXVII 17.
Ane hundretht drywair scowis with certane vther brokin tymmer 1597 Conv. Burghs II 12.
Skowis for making of treyis 1597–8 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 33.
Ane Lytill bark quhilk cam fra Norrowaye with stings and skowis 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 5.
Aucht hunder skowis for puncheonis, pypis and barrellis 1614 Dundee Shipping L. 246.
Auch thowsand barrellis of skowie [? for skowis] 1618 Edinb. Test. L 155.
Tuentie thousand … hewin skowis … tuentie thousand … vnhewin skowis 1619 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 195.
That the Counsaill sall yeirlie tak guid and sufficient ordor for buying of tymber skowis and girthis and uther necessaris 1643–4 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 285.
100 of skous to be wyges to the bulwark 1705 Acts XI 293/2.
Pitch [etc.] … skows, hoops, Dutch nets, … [to] be free of custome
2. In other senses. a. ? A bundle or pack. b. A sheaf (of corn).a. 1593 Exch. R. XXII 333.
3 skowis of Inglis kairdisb. 1668 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II 394.
James Mudy … did take two scowes of corne from two of the persewars tennents
