Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1841-1922
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SCOW, n.1 Also skow. [skʌu]
1. A small boat, gen. of the flat-bottomed sort, esp. used on canals, like a barge or lighter (Lnk. 1825 Jam.; Cai., Bnff., wm.Sc., Kcb. 1969). Also in Ir. and U.S. usage. Deriv. scowman, a lighterman, bargee.Dmf. 1841 Carlyle Life in London (Froude 1884) I. 221:
Three fishers too, whose rude Annan voices I heard busy in their skows in the Gallowbank pool.Bnff. 1871 J. Milne Poems 31:
Jammed up in the hould of an auld herring scow.Cld. 1884 Justiciary Reports (1887) 491:
On board of the lighter or scow Bella of Glasgow.Slg. 1885 W. Towers Poems 182:
Aboon the babel rout O' hawlers, scowmen, cadger folk.Sh. 1899 Shetland News (11 Feb.):
Hit's only a skow o' a fowerereen.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 99:
Ah! less-a-less fir dy auld skow, Dy riv'n börds saem rid wi' roost.
†2. A small boat, framed with osiers and covered with skins, a coracle (Mry. 1825 Jam.).
[Du. schouw, = 1.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Scow n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/scow_n1>
