lawe

present singular third person lawes · participle present lawing · participle past lawed · past lawed

1. transitiveTo cut off the claws and balls of (e.g. a dog's forefeet, to hinder it from hunting).

   They were enveloped in forms, and easily evaded ; like a lawed dog, too mutilated to catch their game.

   1808, William Gilpin, Remarks on forest scenery, and other woodland views

   3 more examples

   In the 3 Edw II., at a Court-Leet and Court-Baron held for the manor of Sutton-Cold field, in Warwickshire, when the ancient customs of the Lordship from the time of Athelstan and until the coronation of Henry III. were testified to by the Jury, they certified that they had heard their ancestors say that, when Sutton manor was in the hands of the Kings of England, all the Chase was afforested, and all the dogs within the forest used to be lawed, and the left claw of the foot cut off: and after it came into the hands of the Earl of Warwick they had leave to have and hold dogs of all kind unlawed.

   1866, George Richard Jesse, Researches Into the History of the British Dog

   The Vicar of Bacford for the same John Miller there for the same Beatrice de Coghull for one dog not lawed.

   1950, Transactions of the Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire

   Godric rarely entered the forest, and, having already trained Harold to help with driving the sheep, at which the young dog had shown a remarkable talent, he had no wish to have him lawed.

   2011, Edward Rutherfurd, Sarum, →ISBN, page 511

plural lawes

1. countableobsoleteuncountableObsolete spelling of law (“system of regulations etc.”).