| 释义 |
soam Sc. and north.|səʊm|
Forms: α. 5 soym(e, 5 somme, 6 so(l)me, 8– soam. β. 5–7 sowme, 6 soume, sovme, 8 sowm.
[prob. a. OF. some, somme, soume, saume (med.L. sauma, sagma: see seam n.2) pack-saddle, horse-load; but the difference in the sense is not accounted for by the existing evidence.]
1. A rope or chain, attaching a draught-horse or other animal to a wagon, plough, etc.; a trace-rope. Also attrib. in soam-chain.
α1375Barbour Bruce x. 180 Hastyly He suld stryk with the ax in twa The hede-soyme. Ibid. 233 He..hewit in twa the soym in hy. c1459Reg. Aberbrothoc (Bann. Cl.) II. 108 Owr bailye..straik the sommys in twa and hewyt the plwche. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. I. 171 Thair wapynis..[they] maid thame all in somes to thair pleuche. 1582Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees, 1860) 46, ij plewes..with socke and culter, viij draught yokes, viij somes. 1765A. Dickson Treat. Agric. (ed. 2) 255 The soam of the pair immediately before the hindmost must be fixed..to the beam. 1799J. Robertson Agric. Perth 103 That inconvenience is prevented in the plough by using a long chain (provincially a soam). 1844H. Stephens Book of Farm I. 626 The leading horses are thus yoked by a second set of common swing⁓trees to the end of the soam. Ibid., The middle horse pulling by the soam-chain.
β1404Durh. Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 398, ij cultris,..iij plogherbandis, viij sowmes. 1451Durh. Depos. (Surtees) 30, iij crokes, j sowme. 1513Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. IV. 513 For xx stane of towis to be soumes for the gunnys. 1572Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees, 1835) 350, ix sowmes, iiij plewes, iij cowters. 1662in Pitcairn Crim. Trials III. 603 Paddokis did draw the plewgh, as oxen; qwickens wer sowmes. 1752Rec. Elgin (New Spalding Cl.) I. 465 Sowms, thramels, rigwoodies,..and all other..work of..straw, bent or rushes.
2. Coal-mining. (See quots.)
1789Brand Hist. Newcastle II. 681 In low seams, [the coals are drawn] on trams, pulled by two small cords, called soams, by a boy. 1851Greenwell Coal-trade Terms, Northumb. & Durh. 30 A little boy, who performs his part by pulling the tub by a couple of ropes or traces..called soams. 1883Gresley Gloss. Coal-m. 229 Soams, a pair of cords about three feet in length, by which foals and half marrows pull tubs along the roads. |