scower

present singular third person scowers · participle present scowering · participle past scowered · past scowered

1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of scour.

   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.

   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]

   3 more examples

   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.

   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

   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.

   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

   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.

   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

plural scowers

1. obsoleteObsolete spelling of scour.

   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.

   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