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 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pow, v. Also: pou, pwe, puy. P.t. and p.p. powit(t, pouit, powed, powd(e. [Sc. reduced var. of Pull v. (cf. Fow adj.).] tr. To pluck, tug, pull (with adverbial complements, and absol.); also, to rob. = Pull v. in various senses.(1) (a) ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 167.
Powand ȝour blist mouth with thair wile handis a1500 Prestis of Peblis 622.
Thay pluck the puir as thay war powand hadder 1535 Reg. Episc. Brechin. II 186.
To pow heddir tharupone 1560 Rolland Seven S. 2155.
This tre was laidin fow Of nobill frute, quhilk ay the hird did pow 1570 Conv. Burghs I 21.
That all flesche … be presentitt to the mercatt … with the skyn and byrn vn tarletheritt and plukkitt or powitt 1582 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 70.
Powit a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 636 (L).
Quhat haist, schir, ȝe taist, schir, The cherrie, or ȝe pow it [: trowit] Ib. 606. Ib. 800 (Wr.).
Fy on him … That powde not cherries then anew [etc.] Id. Son. lxvi 14.
So, sillie I … Invyis ȝour state, that's pouing Bacchus luggis 1604 Dundonald Par. Rec. 65.
Meg Richie … grantit scho pouit gras on the Sonday 1641 Acts V (1817) 591/2.
Power … to pow heather 1680 Sempill P. 52/24.
The laydron [Poverty] pow'd me by the thrapple 1684 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 127.
[To] shier pow or maw their nibures gresse(b) 1663 Forbes Baron Ct. 243.
The said tenentis … sall not cutt nor puy any of the maister of Forbes brumes(2) c1475 Wall. vi 412.
He gert a smyth with his turkas rycht thar Pow out his eyne Ib. viii 1041.
Pow houssis doun, we sall nocht want adeill Ib. ix 506.
A cruell portar gat apon the wall, Powit out a pyn, the portculys leit fall a1538 Abell 34 a.
His serwandis wald haif powit wp the fichis bot knew he weill thai cuth nocht do that without powin wp als of the gude corn Ib. 123 b.
Thai powit out thare hartis 1622 Scot Course of Conformity 60.
The meeting was … made up of … barons and burgesses powed out for the purpose(b) 1596 Dalr. I 293/4.
In a furie he pwes vp the ȝok of the pluche(3) c1475 Wall. vii 189.
Quhen Sampsone powed to grond the gret piller c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii 110.
And ever did Petie on me pow [: Jesu] a1540 Freiris Berw. 515 (M).
Pow thy coull leuche attour thy face 1561–2 Dumfries B. Ct. 38 b.
He had powit ane hundreth grovand thoirnis out of his merche(4) absol. 1570 Sat. P. xvi 3.
Euerie man dois pluke and pow [: trow] a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 808 (Wr.).
Thy folly … Empashed him to pow [: now]