释义 |
thrave, threave Chiefly Sc. and north. Eng.|θreɪv, θriːv| Forms: α. 1 pl. þreues; 4–6, 9 threve, 5 threfe, 6 threff, threif(f, threafe, 7 Sc. thref, 8 Sc. threive, 9 Sc. thrief, thrieve, 7– threave. β. 5 Sc. thraf, 5–6 thraue, thrafe, north. thrawe, 6 thrayf, thravffe, Sc. thraif, 9 thraive, 5– thrave. γ. Sc. and north. 3 traue, 5 trawe, 6 (8– dial.) trave (cf. med.L. trava in Du Cange), 9 dial. traeve. [Of Scandinavian origin; in α, a. West Scand. *þrefe, Icel. þrefi, Norw. treve, træve; in β, a. East Scand. *þrafe, MSw. þrave, Sw. trafve, Da. trave (whence NFris. (Sylt.) traav). *þrefe and *þrafe were prob. ablaut variants.] 1. Two shocks or stooks of corn (or pulse), generally containing twelve sheaves each, but varying in different localities; hence used as a measure of straw, fodder, etc. α963–84in Birch Cart. Sax. III. 367 Swa man ær simle dide tioþunge æt ælcere sylh an foðer cornes þe eahte þreues cornes on weron. 1483Cath. Angl. 384/2 (MS. A.) A Threfe [v.r. thrave] of corne, traua. 1512–13Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 106 Pro xl threff straminis. 1556Records of Elgin (N. Spalding Cl.) I. 30 The threafe or fodder, viij d. 1572in Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 1576. 708/2 For ane threif of custome stray. 1618–19N. Riding Rec. II. 189 A Thirske woman presented for stealing six threaves of Hempe value 10/. 1716Parochial Rec. Stonehouse 17 July, To cause pull sixtie threive of heather for thatching. 1812Sir J. Sinclair Syst. Husb. Scot. i. 330 A threave of wheat, consisting of twenty-eight sheaves, each sheaf measuring thirty inches round,..a threave of barley, oats, or pease, of twenty-four sheaves, each thirty inches round. 1822Lights & Shadows of Sc. Life 214 (Jam.), I have thrashed a few thrieves in the minister's barn. 1851Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. XII. i. 129 An acre of good oats generally averages 32 threves (768 sheaves). β1423Act 2 Hen. VI, c. 2 Endowé..dun Thrave des blees aprendre annuelment de chescun charue... Endowed..of a thraue of corn to be taken yerely of euery ploughe. c1462Wright's Chaste Wife 245 A thrafe of flex. 1537Stanlowe Cell Inv. (Publ. Rec. Office), vj Thrayf of vnthrashen Barlycorne. 1551in Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees) I. 134 A c. thrave of wheit and rye at ij s. vj d. a thrave. 1584Shuttleworths' Acc. (Chetham Soc.) 19 Eighte thravffe of stroue sould at Houle viijd. 1679Filmer Freeholder 54 Their Living..consisted chiefly upon the having of a Thrave of Corn of every Plow-land. 1865W. White E. Eng. I. 289, Reapers got sixpence a thrave for their reaping. γ1284Acc. Exch. K.R. Bd. 97 No. 3 Pro .lxxij. Trauis litere emptis..pro eisdem [horses]. c1447in Jarrow & Wearmouth (Surtees) 242 Tho trawes and other arrerage of the said corn. 1504–5Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 251 Pro xxxij trave de lyng. 1764Museum Rust. II. xxxiii. 107 Some shock their sheaves setting them up in traves of six sheaves of a side, and two to cap them. Ibid., If the sheaves were dry when the traves were set up. 1868Atkinson Cleveland Gloss., Thrave, pron. trave, treeav. 1900Shetland News 22 Sept. (E.D.D.), What mak's doo o' da twartree [= two or three] traeve o' bare. 1905Contemp. Rev. July 95, I learned how to build a trave (which is by interpretation a shock or stook). 2. transf. and fig. A large number; a company; a multitude, a ‘heap’, a ‘lot’. α1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xvi. 55, I have þouȝtes a threve of þis þre piles, In what wode thei woxen. 1610B. Jonson Alch. v. ii, Gallants..[have] beene seene to flock here In threaues. 1635J. Jones Adrasta iii. i. G j, Come, gi' me a threave of kisses. 1825Scott Betrothed xxi, Minstrels singing ballads by the threave. β1486Bk. St. Albans f vi b, A Thraue of Throsheris. 1500–20Dunbar Poems lxvi. 55 Sum with ane thraif playis passage plane. a1656Bp. Hall Rev. Unrevealed §8 Tidings..of a thrave of Jews newly converted. †3. A bundle or handful tied up like a small sheaf. Obs.
1606Chapman Gentleman Usher ii. i. Plays 1873 I. 273 Lay me vm [rushes] thus In fine smoothe threaues, look you sir, thus, in threaues. 1656Sir J. Mennis K. Oberon's Apparel in Musarum Del. 34 His Belt was made of mirtle leaves, Plaited in small curious threaves. Hence ˈthraver, ˈthreaver, a reaper who is paid according to the number of thraves he cuts; ˈthreaving vbl. n., the practice of paying reapers at so much for the thraves.
1812Sir J. Sinclair Syst. Husb. Scot. i. 329 About six years ago, another practice took place in that district, which..is called threaving. 1813G. Robertson Agric. Surv. Kincard. 264 (Jam.) While a reaper cuts..at the rate of nine threaves a-day, a threaver will..cut ten threaves in the same time. 1844Stephens Bk. Farm III. 1053 Threavers..have a strong inducement to cut the straw near the ground. |