scower

English

Verb

scower (third-person singular simple present scowers, present participle scowering, simple past and past participle scowered)

1. Obsolete spelling of scour
   • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

     Lord. Behind the tuft of Pines I met them, neuer
     Saw I men scowre so on their way: I eyed them
     Euen to their Ships.

   • 1697, Virgil, “The First Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 70, lines 690–693:

     So four fierce Courſers ſtarting to the Race, / Scow'r thro' the Plain, and lengthen ev'ry Pace: / Nor Reigns, nor Curbs, nor threat'ning Cries they fear, / But force along the trembling Charioteer.

   • 1751, John Upton, A Letter Concerning a New Edition of Spenser’s Faerie Queene. To Gilbert West, Esq., London: Printed for G. Hawkins, […], →OCLC, section VI, page 36:

     If tranſcribers and printers, or editors, will be perpetually varying from the ſpelling of their author, we ſhall neceſſarily have a conſtant ſource of corruption: for by this alteration, which inſenſibly goes on from ſmaller to greater things, that antique caſt is loſt, which of itſelf carries ſo venerable an aſpect; and our modern editors, in this reſpect, reſemble the officious ſervant of the late learned antiquary Dr. Woodward, who in ſcowering off the ruſt from an old ſhield, which his maſter had juſt purchaſed, made it more reſemble the new ſcowered cover of an old kettle, than the ſhield of an ancient heroe.

   • 1805 August, Bouillon Lagrange, “Extract from a Memoir on the Steeping of Wool, and the Influence of Its Different States on Dyeing. […]”, in The Repertory of Arts, Manufactures, and Agriculture, volume XXXIX (Second Series), London: Printed for J. Wyatt, […], →OCLC, page 222:

     Flanders soap is the substance which appeared to act in the most advantageous manner; it scowers very speedily, and gives wool a degree of whiteness which it is extremely difficult to produce by any other means.

Noun

scower (plural scowers)

1. Obsolete spelling of scour
   • 1825, Pierce Egan, “The Chub, or Chevin”, in Sporting Anecdotes, Original and Selected; […], new considerably enlarged and improved edition, London: Printed for Sherwood, Jones and Co. […], →OCLC, page 220:

     Fish as near the middle of the stream as you can in the spring months, and also on the shallows and scowers; but in the winter, in deep holes; let the bait drag two or three inches on the ground.

Anagrams

• Cowser, cowers, escrow