stowce

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noun

A windlass, a device for drawing ore up from a mine, also formerly used (when made entirely of wood) to indicate possession of mining land.

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Meanings

nounstowce (plural stowces)

plural stowces

  1. A windlass, a device for drawing ore up from a mine, also formerly used (when made entirely of wood) to indicate possession of mining land.

    A miner established his claim to a vein which he had discovered by placing a stowce on the spot.

    1969, Frank Nixon, The Industrial Archaeology of Derbyshire
    2 more examples

    When a person discovers a vein, and has no means to possess it for want of stowces, he marks the ground with crosses and holes, by which means he possesses it until he can procure stowces.

    1848, Journal of the Franklin Institute, page 301

    Legal possession of a mine was kept only by erecting stows or stowces, which must be "set in all men's sight." The stow is a machine for drawing up the ore in tubs from the mine. It is constructed of seven pieces of timber fastened together by wooden pins. If nails or any metal is used in[…]

    1910, Derbyshire Archaeological Journal, page 175

Origin

The OED, mentioning the variant forms stose, stoce, stowse, and stow, says it is "of obscure origin; possibly a contraction of stothes pl. of stothe" i.e. stooth; however, compare stow.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

stowce. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stowce

MLA

“stowce.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stowce. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stowce,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stowce.

Source: stowce on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.