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单词 tow
释义

town.1

Brit. /təʊ/, /taʊ/, U.S. /toʊ/, /taʊ/, Scottish English /tʌʊ/, /to/
Forms: Middle English–1600s towe, (Middle English toow, 1500s toa, 1600s–1700s toe), Middle English–1500s tawe, Middle English– tow.
Etymology: Known only from last quarter of 14th cent. Origin doubtful: perhaps related to Old Norse tó n. uncleansed wool or flax, unworked fibre of thread; which is doubtfully connected with Old English *tow- spinning, weaving, in towcræft, towhús, and towlíc fit for spinning, textile, and obsolete Middle Dutch touwen to knit, to weave (Kilian). The original sense may have been ‘textile fibre’ generally. Kilian has ‘Touw Frisian Ang. j. werck, Stupa’; and ‘Tauw j. touw’; also, ‘Werck, Stupa, lini stupa, linum vile, lini purgamentum, lana crassior & recrementitia’; which evidently agrees with our word; but touw has not been found in Frisian, and the value of Kilian's entry is uncertain.
†1. Apparently: the unworked stem or fibre of flax, before it is heckled. Obsolete. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > flax, hemp, or jute > [noun] > before heckling
towc1400
c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (Roxb.) xi. 49 Raab..þat ressayued þe messangers of Israel..and seled [pr. feled] þam in hir hous amang towe of lyne [cf. Vulgate Josh. ii. 6 operuitque eos stipula lini; Wyclif, couerd hem with stuble of flaxe].
2.
a. The fibre of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning by some process of scutching.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > treated or processed textiles > [noun] > flax, hemp, or jute > prepared for spinning
tow1377
lintc1480
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xvii. 245 Ac hew fyre at a flynte fowre hundreth wyntre But þow haue towe to take it with tondre or broches Al þi laboure is loste.
c1385 G. Chaucer Legend Good Women 2004 (Ariadne) Ballis ek also Of wex & tow [v.r. towe]..To slake his hungir & encombre his teth.
c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 498/2 Toow, of a rok, or roket (..K. towe of hempe, or flax, or othyr like), pensum.
1545 Rates Custome House sig. cvij v Towe fyne the C. pounde v.s. Towe the .c. pounde iij.s. iiij.d.
1599 A. M. tr. O. Gaebelkhover Bk. Physicke 38/2 Madefye heerin hempen toa, and applye..rownde about his heade.
1600 R. Surflet tr. C. Estienne & J. Liébault Maison Rustique v. xviii. 701 To the end that..in beating it with beetles, heckling and spinning of it, such filth may not remaine among the towe.
1675 N. Grew Compar. Anat. Trunks ii. vii. 79 The qualities..of the best Toe,..are that the Staple be long, small, tough, and white.
1725 A. Ramsay Gentle Shepherd ii. i Gae break your wheel, and burn your tow, And set the meiklest peat-stack in a low.
178. R. Burns (title) The weary pund o' tow.
1792 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) II. 623 I think my wife will end her life, Before she spin her tow.
1825 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. Suppl. Tow, hemp in a prepared state.
1839 Cumbld. & Westmorld. Dial. 13 Tae..spin tow for bord claiths en sheets.
b. figurative; esp. in phrase to have tow on one's rock (distaff), to have business to attend to.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > doing > activity or occupation > be occupied or busy (in or at something) [verb (intransitive)] > have business in hand
to have tow on one's rock (distaff)c1405
to have eggs on the spit1542
c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer Miller's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 586 This Absolon..hadde moore tow [v.r. towe] on his dystaf Than Gerueys knew.
a1500 (a1460) Towneley Plays (1994) I. xiii. 142 I haue tow on my rok More then euer I had.
1606 A. Dent Pastime for Parents sig. C.iiiv Euen after the people of God are iustified, and sanctified, and assured of eternall life: yet they haue their hands full, and as wee say towe inough to their Rocke to snib, and nippe of those manifolde blossomes and fruites of corruption, which dayly and hourely arise and spring vp in their nature.
a1628 J. Carmichaell Coll. Prov. in Scots (1957) No. 993 I will have other tow in your rock, nor sit and keme linget.
1692 Sc. Presbyterian Eloquence (1694) 18 The Philistines had invaded the land; this gave Saul some other tow in his rock, and by that David was deliver'd.
1737 E. Erskine Serm. in Wks. (1871) II. 241 It is easy for God to give wicked men another tow in their rock than to molest the Lord's people.
1756 M. Calderwood Lett. & Jrnls. (1884) iv. 103 ‘In good faith,’ says John..‘the Dutch has some other tow in their rock.’
1826 W. Scott Jrnl. 9 Feb. (1939) 94 Perhaps she has no tow on her rock.
1890 A. Conan Doyle White Company v They may find they have more tow on their distaff than they know how to spin.
3. More strictly, the shorter fibres of flax or hemp, which are separated by heckling from the fine and long-stapled, called line; = hurds n., hurds.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > treated or processed textiles > [noun] > flax, hemp, or jute > heckled > coarse parts
hurdseOE
oakumeOE
tow1530
flax-hurd1614
tow hards1615
codilla1748
backings1780
swingling-tow1828
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 183 Unes estovpes, a locke of towe or hurdes.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 282/1 Towe, estouppes.
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Tow, stipa, æ, stupa, æ.
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xix. i. 4 That part..which is utmost and next to the pill or rind, is called Tow or Hurds, and it is..good for little or nothing but to make lampe-match or candle-wicke.
1844 G. Dodd Textile Manuf. Great Brit. v. 165 The flax ceases to be called by that name after it has passed through the heckling-machines; the good portion is then called ‘line’, and the inferior ‘tow’.
1893 Daily News 14 July 3/7 Prices of lines and tows unchanged.
1896 Daily News 12 Dec. 8/6 Flax, tow, and codilla quiet.
4. A bundle of untwisted natural or manmade fibres.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > [noun] > bundle of
flake1697
tow1950
1950 B. E. Hartsuch Introd. Textile Chem. viii. 237 The filaments from several coagulating baths or cabinets (acetate) are combined to form a thick strand known as tow.
1969 Sci. Jrnl. Feb. 43/3 Prepreg is made by dripping numerous tows or groups of fibres in a dilute solution of resin in acetone and then laying them down side by side..on a firm flat surface.
1971 New Scientist 8 July 68/2 The material [sc. carbon fibres] was in the form of ‘tows’—14 inch long bundles containing 10 000 filaments each of 1½ denier.
1973 Materials & Technol. VI. iv. 302 In the case of viscose rayon the thick tows are sometimes supplied to mills which desire to do their own cutting into staple lengths.

Compounds

General attributive.
C1. General attributive. ‘Of or for tow’.
a.
tow-beetle n. beetle n.1
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > treating or processing textile materials > treating or processing flax, hemp, or jute > [noun] > beating > implement for
swinglec1325
swingle-stickc1325
swingle-stockc1340
swingle-wandc1340
brakec1450
swingle-hand1483
swindlehanda1500
swingletree?a1500
swingling-stock?a1500
swingle-foot1500
swingling-bat1552
tow-beetle1601
tewtaw1652
swingle-staff1664
swingle-head1677
cataract1693
hemp-beatera1726
hand brake1766
scutcher1766
scutchc1791
swingling-board1819
swingling-hand1825
bott-hammer1839
swingling-post1902
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. xix. i. 4 To be beaten and punned..with an hurden mallet or tow-beetle made for the purpose.
tow-card n. card n.1.
ΚΠ
1655 in G. F. Dow Probate Rec. Essex County, Mass. (1916) I. 201 A pair of tow cards, 1s.
1801 J. Thomson Willy Weir's Legacy xxv A pair o' gude tow-cards.
tow-quality n.
tow-waste n.
ΚΠ
1837 Civil Engineer & Architect's Jrnl. 1 79/2 Bags filled with clay and tow-waste.
b.
tow cloth n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > made from flax, hemp, or jute > [noun] > made from tow or hards
hardenc1430
harn1622
inderkins1696
tow cloth1706
1706 Boston News-let. 18 Nov. Ran-away..A Scotch Young man..hath with him..two Jackets..lyned with brown linen called western Tow-cloth.
1775 Cooke in J. Sparks Corr. Amer. Revol. (1853) I. 27 Such a demand for tow-cloth for family use.
1822 J. Flint Lett. from Amer. 232 A tent was dismantled of its tow cloth covering.
tow goods n.
tow hards n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > treated or processed textiles > [noun] > flax, hemp, or jute > heckled > coarse parts
hurdseOE
oakumeOE
tow1530
flax-hurd1614
tow hards1615
codilla1748
backings1780
swingling-tow1828
1615 W. Welde tr. Janua Linguarum 51 The remnants of towe-hards..are turned into smoke in the chimney.
tow-hat n.
ΚΠ
1838 Knickerbocker Mag. 12 325 His serene head overshadowed by a vast canopy of a tow-hat.
tow-linen n.
ΚΠ
1779 in New Jersey Archives (1906) 2nd Ser. III. 154 [A] blue long elk saddle cloth lined with tow linen.
1843 R. Carlton New Purchase xi. 79 His tow-linen trowsers.
1884 ‘M. Twain’ Adventures Huckleberry Finn xx. 172 Some of the children didn't have on any clothes but just a tow-linen shirt.
1921 J. Buchan Path of King xiii. 259 He wore an old skin shirt and a pair of tow-linen pants.
tow rope n.
ΚΠ
1336 Accts. Exchequer King's Remembrancer (P.R.O.: E101/19/31) m. 4 In x. petris cordis de canabo..pro vno towerope inde faciendo.
1902 S. R. Crockett Dark o' the Moon xxxix Saunders Lennox's tow rape will break mony a promise on Monday mornin' by nine o' Kirkcudbright clock.
tow-sack n.
ΚΠ
1930 W. Faulkner As I lay Dying 48 The soaked towsack tied about his shoulders.
1976 J. Lee Ninth Man 243 He anchored the tow-sack bundle on his left arm.
tow sheeting n.
tow-shirt n.
ΚΠ
1739 Boston Weekly News-let. 18 Oct. An Indian Lad..had on..an old tow Shirt.
tow string n.
ΚΠ
1806 Balance 5 5/3 Our worthy old friend..sometimes wears a tow string round his hat.
1856 H. B. Stowe Dred I. xiii. 186 She is one of the tow-string order of women.
1892 Harper's Mag. Mar. 649/2 What was known as the ‘tow-string survey’ offered him an excellent opportunity for the display of his peculiar talents.
tow thong n.
tow weft n.
tow yarn n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > thread or yarn > [noun] > made from flax, hemp, or jute > made from tow or hards
tow yarn1780
1780 A. Young Tour Ireland (Dublin ed.) I. 262 The warp of tow-yarn.
C2. General attributive.
a.
tow-heckler n.
ΚΠ
a1800 S. Pegge Suppl. Grose's Provinc. Gloss. (1814) Tow-Heckler, a dresser of tow for spinning. North.
b.
tow-coloured adj.
tow-haired adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > hair > colour of hair > [adjective] > light hair > having
white-headed1571
whitehead1577
fair-haired1598
silver-haired1678
light-haired?1746
blonde-locked1837
tow-headed1850
tow-haired1887
peroxide1899
blondie1905
straw-blond1928
platinum blonde1932
1887 J. Ashby-Sterry Cucumber Chron. 5 There are six tow-haired children playing beneath a guide-post.
tow-like adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > hair > colour of hair > [adjective] > light hair
yellowOE
blonde1481
towy1858
blondine1867
red-blond1875
strawberry blond1884
ash-blond1903
tow-like1907
bottle blonde1908
blondish1961
strawish1978
1907 19th Cent. Apr. 584 Her tow-like hair was tied up with white tape.
tow-made adj.
ΚΠ
1896 Daily News 12 Dec. 8/6 Tow-made goods are selling freely in heavy makes for unions.
C3. Special combinations:
tow-head n. a light-coloured head of hair; (also) an unkempt or tousled head; a person having such hair; spec. a local name in southern U.S. for Mergus cucullatus, the Hooded Merganser of North America, the male of which has a semicircular crest with a white patch; (also) (U.S.) a sandbar or other obstruction causing ripples in a river or stream.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > land mass > reef > sandbank > [noun]
sand-ridgec1000
hurst1398
shelp1430
sand1495
ayre1539
bar1587
knock1587
sandbank1589
middle ground1653
middle1702
overslaugh1755
sandbar1767
sea-bank1828
tow-head1829
wharf1867
whale1905
horse1926
the world > life > the body > hair > colour of hair > [noun] > person having light
blonde1822
tow-head1829
blondie1882
strawberry blond1884
bottle blonde1898
ash-blond1903
peroxide1903
peroxide blonde1909
platinum blonde1931
the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > subfamily Merginae (duck) > [noun] > genus Mergus (merganser) > mergus cucullatus (hooded merganser)
tow-head1829
hooded merganser1840
tadpole1891
1829 S. Cumings Western Pilot 7 There are..a great number of tow-heads and sand-bars.
1830 A. Royall Southern Tour I. 92 One insolent little tow-head.
1847 Indiana Mag. Hist. 8 273 [We] cut loose and run all islands and towheads to the right.
1883 ‘M. Twain’ Life on Mississippi xxiii. 262 A large town which lay shut in behind a tow-head (i.e., new island).
1888 G. Trumbull Names & Portraits Birds 75 The name Tow-Head..was heard in one of our Southern States.
1901 A. H. Rice Mrs. Wiggs of Cabbage Patch vii. 95 Little Europena, with baby wisdom, put her tow head under the cloth.
1960 Guardian 5 Nov. 1/6 The abominable tow-head from Massachusetts.
1977 Verbatim Dec. 6/2 Even the most casual student of American literature should have no trouble with..tow-head (‘sand bar with cottonwoods’).
tow-headed adj. having whitish or tousled hair.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > the body > hair > colour of hair > [adjective] > light hair > having
white-headed1571
whitehead1577
fair-haired1598
silver-haired1678
light-haired?1746
blonde-locked1837
tow-headed1850
tow-haired1887
peroxide1899
blondie1905
straw-blond1928
platinum blonde1932
1850 S. Judd Richard Edney xlix. 450 Bronze-faced and tow-headed Wild Olive boys.
1884 G. H. Boughton in Harper's Mag. Sept. 530/2 The tow-headed children rolling about in the orchards.
tow trousers n.
ΚΠ
1767 Virginia Gaz. 11 June Michael Murray, an Irishman..had on..tow trousers.
1776 Pennsylvania Evening Post 25 May 264/2 A pair of tow trowsers.
tow-wheel n. a large spinning-wheel for making coarse tow yarn.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture of thread or yarn > [noun] > spinning > spinning wheel > types of
wool-wheel1630
girdle-wheel1688
high wheel1836
tow-wheel1900
1900 M. E. Wilkins Love of Parson Lord (ed. Tauchn.) 26 The great arc of an old tow-wheel.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

town.2

Brit. /təʊ/, U.S. /toʊ/, Scottish English /tʌʊ/
Forms: Also Middle English–1600s towe.
Etymology: Known in Scots use c1470: not in Old English (except perhaps in ‘tóh-line remulcus’, tow-line, in Wright-Wülcker 182/32). Corresponds to Old Frisian tow (from 15th cent.), West Frisian tou , North Frisian tau , tāw , modern Dutch touw , early modern Dutch touwe (Kilian), Middle Low German touwe , touw , Low German and East Frisian tau , whence modern German tau (1663 in Kluge); generally identified (at least the monosyllabic forms) with Old Norse tog , Norwegian tog , Swedish tåg , Danish toug , tov , all meaning ‘rope, cable, cord’: akin also to Old Norse taug (feminine), Old English téag , téah string, rope, tie n. The fundamental meaning was apparently ‘means for drawing’, < ablaut stem teuh- , tauh- , tug- (tog- ) to draw: see tee v.1
a. A rope. Chiefly Scottish.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > building and constructing equipment > fastenings > [noun] > rope, cord, or line
stringa900
soleOE
funela1400
tow1513
rope1720
tug1805
thews1851
jeff1854
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid v. xii. 163 Thair cabillis new, and thar heid towis reparis.
1534 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1905) VI. 234 Cabillis and towis brocht hame to the Kingis schip.
a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) I. 175 His handis bund witht sic ane tow of hempt.
1646 Alloa Kirk Session Rec. in Northern Notes & Queries 18 For towes to the bell.
c1650 J. Spalding Memorialls Trubles Scotl. & Eng. (1850) I. 29 Vpone Mononday..at nicht, he cam doun over the castell wall vpone towis brocht to him secretlie be his wyf and..cleirlie wan away.
1786 R. Burns Holy Fair xxvi, in Poems 53 Now Clinkumbell, wi' rattlan tow, [= bell-rope] Begins to jow an' croon.
1888 J. M. E. Saxby Lads of Lunda 117 She was scudding out the Voe, Erik steering, Bill at the tows.
b. spec. A hangman's rope, a halter.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > punishment > capital punishment > hanging > [noun] > gallows > parts of > noose or rope
ropeeOE
withec1275
cordc1330
snarea1425
tippet1447
girnc1480
halter1481
widdie1508
tether?a1513
hemp1532
Tyburn tippet1549
John Roper's window1552
neckweed1562
noose1567
horse-nightcap1593
tow1596
Tyburn tiffany1612
piccadill1615
snick-up1620
Tyburn piccadill1620
necklacea1625
squinsy1632
Welsh parsley1637
St. Johnston's riband1638
string1639
Bridport daggera1661
rope's end1663
cravat1680
swing1697
snecket1788
death cord1804
neckclothc1816
St. Johnston's tippet1816
death rope1824
mink1826
squeezer1836
yard-rope1850
necktie1866
Tyburn string1882
Stolypin's necktie1909
widdieneckc1920
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 66 The tow, quhilke he maid to hang vtheris in, him selfe was first (caught in).
1821 W. Scott Pirate II. v. 103 It can end in naething but trees and tows [= gallows].
1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped vi. 50 There's many would like to see him girning in a tow.
c. In various specific or contextual uses (Scottish or English dialect): e.g.The rope or chain by which the weights of a clock are suspended (Scottish); a line or rope for sea-fishing (Orkney & Shetland); the winding-cable for raising and lowering the cage, etc. in a coal-pit (Scottish and English regional (northern)); a rope or chain for hauling timber (English dialect); a line attached to the horns of the leading oxen in a South African team (also fore-tow).
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > instruments for measuring time > clock > [noun] > part(s) of
nut1428
peise1428
plumbc1450
Jack1498
clockwork1516
larum1542
Jack of the clockhouse1563
watch-wheel1568
work1570
plummeta1578
Jack of the clock1581
snail-cam1591
snail-work1591
pointer1596
quarter jack1604
mainspring1605
winder1606
notch-wheel1611
fusee1622
count-wheel1647
jack-wheel1647
frame1658
arbor1659
balance1660
fuse1674
hour-figure1675
stop1675
pallet1676
regulator1676
cock1678
movement1678
detent1688
savage1690
clock1696
pinwheel1696
starred wheel1696
swing-wheel1696
warning-wheel1696
watch1696
watch-part1696
hoop-wheel1704
hour-wheel1704
snail1714
step-wheel1714
tide-work1739
train1751
crutch1753
cannon pinion1764
rising board1769
remontoire1774
escapement1779
clock jack1784
locking plate1786
scapement1789
motion work1795
anchor escapement1798
scape1798
star-wheel1798
recoil escapement1800
recoiling pallet1801
recoiling scapement1801
cannon1802
hammer-tail1805
recoiling escapement1805
bottle jack1810
renovating spring1812
quarter-boy1815
pin tooth1817
solar wheel1819
impulse-teeth1825
pendulum wheel1825
pallet arbor1826
rewinder1826
rack hook1829
snail-wheel1831
quarter bell1832
tow1834
star pulley1836
watch train1838
clock train1843
raising-piece1843
wheelwork1843
gravity escapement1850
jumper1850
vertical escapement1850
time train1853
pin pallet1860
spade1862
dead well1867
stop-work1869
ringer1873
strike-or-silent1875
warning-piece1875
guard-pin1879
pendulum cock1881
warning-lever1881
beat-pin1883
fusee-piece1884
fusee-snail1884
shutter1884
tourbillion1884
tumbler1884
virgule1884
foliot1899
grasshopper1899
grasshopper escapement1899
trunk1899
pin lever1908
clock spring1933
the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > general equipment > [noun] > harness of draught animal > for front of team
fore-gear1496
fore-spar1496
fore-tow1834
fifth-chain1874
the world > food and drink > hunting > fishing > fishing-tackle > fishing-line > [noun] > deep-sea long-line
great line1567
long line1688
sea-line1828
tow1834
society > occupation and work > equipment > lifting or hoisting equipment > [noun] > winch or capstan > rope or cable
wind-rope1359
tow1883
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance by drawing along > [noun] > device used in
tialc1000
tow1884
tow-bar1956
1834 A. Smart Rambling Rhymes 136 Just pou' the tow up when ye beddit.
1844 W. H. Maxwell Wanderings in Highlands & Islands I. xv. 262 They prepare to set their tows, or lines, provided with ling hooks... The whole of the packies a boat carries is a fleet of tows.
1850 R. Gordon-Cumming Five Years Hunter's Life S. Afr. I. ii. 30 The twelve oxen are soon all securely yoked in their proper places; the leader has made up his ‘fore-tow’, which is a long spare rheim attached round the horns of each of the fore or front oxen.
1863 W. C. Baldwin Afr. Hunting viii. 357 When the front oxen had reached the boys, I shouted, ‘Let go the tow, and get out of the road’.
1883 W. S. Gresley Gloss. Terms Coal Mining Tow,..2. A winding rope of hemp.
1884 R. Lawson Upton-on-Severn Words & Phrases Tow, a chain for hauling timber.
1894 R. O. Heslop Northumberland Words Tow, a small rope or painter.
1898 Daily News 25 Feb. 3/1 He went down with the first tow and found the fireman there.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

† town.3

Forms: Middle English toughe, 1600s tawe, 1700s tow.
Etymology: Agrees in form and sense with Norwegian toge (for togje), Aasen.
Obsolete local.
Originally an iron chain; later, a large iron link, attached to the heel of the turn-wrest plough, and by which this is drawn. Also called tow-chain n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > tools and implements > ploughing equipment > [noun] > plough > one-way or turnwrest plough > part of
tow1407
1407 in W. Kennett Parochial Antiq. (1818) II. 213 Pro uno vomere et una cultura et dimid. Toughe cum uno Plowsho emptis, xxiiid.
1607 J. Carpenter Plaine Mans Spirituall Plough 160 The Tawe, or that yron Rope which embracing the Beame, assureth it to the Tractory or Lambe.
1733 J. Tull Horse-hoing Husbandry xxi. 139 The Tow-Chain which fastens the Plow-Tail to the Plow-Head.
1796 J. Boys Agric. Surv. Kent (1813) 52 The plough there being drawn by a long large iron link, called a tow, which comes from the axle of the carriage round the heel of the plough.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2021).

town.4

Brit. /təʊ/, U.S. /toʊ/
Forms: Also 1600s tawe.
Etymology: < tow v.1
1. A rope used for towing, a tow-line.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > ropes or chains other than rigging or cable > [noun] > tow-rope
tow1600
tow-line1719
tow-rope1743
cordelle1811
track-rope1816
towing-rope1838
track-line1856
1600 in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (new ed.) III. 585 [The Phenix] kept her company vntil the next morning, then taking in a small cable from her for a towe: but by 9..she spent her maine mast and split her foreyard, breaking also her tow.
a1661 J. Glanville Voy. Cadiz (1883) 61 Wee could not thus have fastned a towe unto her.
1669 S. Sturmy Mariners Mag. i. ii. 16 Those that be on Shore may have a Towe, and be blest with a Ruther; for we will stay for no man.
2.
a. The action of towing or fact of being towed; chiefly in in tow, in the condition of being towed (of or by the towing vessel); esp. to take in tow (said of a ship, etc.): to begin and continue to tow, to tow.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > propelling other than by sail or oars > [noun] > towing > a tow
tow1622
pluck1894
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance by drawing along > [noun]
trainage1611
overhaul1625
tow1793
trackage1820
traction1822
haulage1826
1622 R. Hawkins Observ. Voiage South Sea lxiii. 157 The Daintie sayled badly,..and with the advantage, which all the south-sea shippes haue of all those built in our North sea. The Admirall gaue her a tawe.
1704 J. Harris Lexicon Technicum I. (at cited word) Whatever is drawn after a Ship, or Boat with a Rope, &c. is said to be Towed after a Ship, or to be in her Tow.
1720 D. Defoe Life Capt. Singleton 4 As they were sailing away with our Ship in Tow as a Prize.
1793 J. Smeaton Narr. Edystone Lighthouse (ed. 2) §109 One of these blocks..is by a strong chain attached to the carriage,..which is then drawn forward with the block in tow.
1865 D. Livingstone & C. Livingstone Narr. Exped. Zambesi xvi. 324 We took the hippopotamus in tow.
1900 F. T. Bullen With Christ at Sea viii. 151 The long upward tow was nearly at an end.
1902 Westm. Gaz. 11 Apr. 5/2 The worst weather experienced during the tow was a fresh gale and lumpy sea.
b. figurative, esp. to take in tow, to take under one's guidance or patronage; to take charge of; in tow (with) in extended sense: in company (with), accompanying, following.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > control > [verb (transitive)] > have charge of > take charge of
to have, take, give (the) charge of1611
to take in tow1722
the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > patronage > act as patron to [verb (transitive)]
to take upc1384
patronage1587
patronize1593
empatron1609
patron?1624
to take in tow1790
Maecenas1837
society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > [adverb]
yferea1200
i-menec1200
in ferec1275
in commona1382
alongst with1582
along1600
in harness1873
in tow (with)1907
in tandem1930
(to be) in on the act1951
society > society and the community > social relations > association, fellowship, or companionship > a company or body of persons > [adverb]
commonlyc1330
in companya1393
in handa1400
in suit withc1440
along1600
in consort1611
socially1621
in the swim with1885
in tow (with)1907
1722 New-England Courant 17–24 Sept. 1/1 Their eager and amorous Emotions of the Body, occasion'd by taking their Mistresses in Tow, they call'd wild Steerage.
1790 C. Dibdin Coll. Songs I. 154 Providence takes us in tow.
1790 J. Wolcot Advice to Future Laureat ii. xxiii Too proud for bards to take in tow my name.
1805 ‘C. Caustic’ Democracy Unveiled (ed. 3) II. iv. 30 Till he will condescend, I trow, Our commonwealth to take in tow.
1883 J. Gilmour Among Mongols xix. 250 A young lama..took me in tow, and conducted me to all the tents.
1896 ‘Iota’ Quaker Grandmother 28 She set off..to explore the world, with a one-eyed old aunt in tow, and a prize bull-dog.
1907 C. S. Ross Early Otago 169 He had got in tow with a young lady.
1937 C. Day Lewis Starting Point i. 14 Oh, he's got one of his Swedish blondes in tow.
1965 M. Shadbolt Among Cinders xiv. 117 I'm in tow with my parents.
1979 S. Brett Comedian Dies i. 18 ‘Come along, Paul.’ And Walter Proud, with his writer in tow, hurried along to join them.
3.
a. A vessel taken in tow; also, string of boats, barges, etc., being towed. Hence also, a string of barges that is pushed rather than pulled.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessels with other specific uses > [noun] > tug > vessel being towed
tow1805
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel of specific construction or shape > flat-bottomed boat > [noun] > which is towed > line of
tow1897
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel of specific construction or shape > flat-bottomed boat > [noun] > which is towed > line of > being push-towed
push-tow1955
tow1976
1805 in Ld. Nelson Dispatches & Lett. (1846) VII. 189 (note) Trinidada in tow. Employed knitting fore and mizen rigging, and securing the masts and tow.
1883 Official Catal. Internat. Fisheries Exhib. (ed. 4) 175 Methods of Crossing a Channel with Tows of Seals.
1883 Law Times 24 Nov. 62/1 The R.R., by reason of the inefficiency of the V.S. to command the seven tows, stranded and became a total wreck.
1885 Law Times Rep. 53 53/2 The schooner..having come into collision with a tug and her tow.
1897 Outing 30 120/1 The tow consisted of thirty-four boats towing four abreast, a floating village with its houses and families and small children.
1906 Royal Comm. Canals, Min. Evid. 59 I have seen a tow of as many as 23 boats in the Blisworth tunnel on the Grand Junction.
1976 Sci. Amer. July 124/3 The U.S. has a network of inland waterways that carries roughly a sixth of all the nation's freight in multiple-barge ‘tows’ that are usually pushed, rather than pulled, by powerful tugs.
1977 Washington Post 4 Sept. a12/1 They [sc. towboats] push the barges ahead of them. But the nest of barges that is pushed is called the ‘tow’.
b. A vessel that tows; a tug.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessels with other specific uses > [noun] > tug
tow-boat1815
tracker1817
tug1817
tug-boat1832
towing-vessel1834
steam-tug1835
tug-steamer1861
tow1874
pusher tug1936
1874 F. G. D. Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. vi. 172 The heaviest boats should be nearest the tow. Weighted boats tow best.

Compounds

C1. General attributive (or perhaps from tow v.1). See also tow-line n., tow-net n., tow-path n., tow-rope n.
tow-barge n.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel of specific construction or shape > flat-bottomed boat > [noun] > which is towed
track-boat1632
tow-barge1681
tow-vessel1698
track-barge1795
Tom Pudding1880
1681 W. Robertson Phraseologia generalis (1693) 1085 A tow-barge.
tow hook n.
ΚΠ
1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. III. 2604/2 Tow-hook, an artillery-man's hook, used in unpacking ammunition-chests.
1971 M. Tak Truck Talk 170 Tow hooks, hooks, generally found on a tractor's bumper, by which it can be towed or pulled.
1978 J. McNeil Consultant xx. 180 He unclipped the tow hook from the back of the car.
tow-horse n.
ΚΠ
1865 Harper's Mag. Apr. 571/1 It requires as much judgment to drive tow-horses up the Alleghany as to pilot a steamboat down the Mississippi.
tow-man n.
ΚΠ
1864 T. Carlyle Hist. Friedrich II of Prussia IV. xvii. vii. 590 New boatmen, forty new towmen.
tow-truck n.
ΚΠ
1957 Ottawa Jrnl. 6 Aug. 1/1 The break-ins were compared with the noisy June 3 ‘tow-truck’ robbery at another grocery store in the shopping plaza.
1972 Sat. Rev. (U.S.) 17 June 6/2 A tow truck..came for the crippled car.
tow-vessel n.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessel of specific construction or shape > flat-bottomed boat > [noun] > which is towed
track-boat1632
tow-barge1681
tow-vessel1698
track-barge1795
Tom Pudding1880
1698 T. Savery Navigation Improv'd 10 The Tow Vessel in [16]82 drew but four and a half Water the Outside.
C2.
tow-bar n. a bar used in towing; spec. the bar by means of which a trailer, caravan, etc., is attached to the vehicle that tows it.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance by drawing along > [noun] > device used in
tialc1000
tow1884
tow-bar1956
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > other vehicles according to specific use > [noun] > towing vehicle > tow-bar or draw-bar
drawbar1831
trailer hitch1953
tow-bar1956
1956 Archit. Rev. 119 259 Small trucks are coupled to it by a quick-action towbar.
1959 ‘Motor’ Manual (ed. 36) xiii. 270 Don't be misled by the Unladen Weight which is stamped on the towbar.
1960 Guardian 19 Sept. 2/4 For sailing families, boat-cradle, mast support, and long tow-bar can be bought as extras.
1980 West Lancs. Evening Gaz. 5 June 16/4 (advt.) Tow-bars supplied and fitted with electrics to suit every caravan and trailer requirement.
tow-boat n. a boat used in towing; spec. a small vessel built for towing others, a tug.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > vessels with other specific uses > [noun] > tug
tow-boat1815
tracker1817
tug1817
tug-boat1832
towing-vessel1834
steam-tug1835
tug-steamer1861
tow1874
pusher tug1936
1815 Massachusetts Statute 7 Feb. His patent steam tow-boats..said patent bearing date the 2 day of April 1814.
1860 Mercantile Marine Mag. 7 99 Two powerful tow boats..are stationed at the bar.
tow-boating n. U.S. the piloting or operating of a tow-boat.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > [noun] > boating > in specific type of boat
tow-boating1887
motor-boating1905
powerboating1906
faltbooting1926
speed-boating1928
scootering1957
jet-skiing1976
1887 Courier-Jrnl. (Louisville, Kentucky) 7 Feb. 3/3 Theodore Brooks..will try his hand at tow-boating this season.
1977 Amer. Notes & Queries 15 153/1 For more than 300 years its [sc. New London's] people were involved in just about every activity related to the sea including fisheries,..towboating, [etc.].
Categories »
tow-car n. on street-railways in U.S., a car which is towed by another, a trailer ( Funk's Stand. Dict. 1895).
towfish n. a housing with measuring or detecting instruments in it or attached to it and designed to be towed underwater behind a ship.
ΚΠ
1973 Jrnl. Marine Res. 31 73 An alternative solution..is the replacement of the weighted fish with a lighter tow body having a controllable fin.]
1975 McGraw-Hill Yearbk. Sci. & Technol. 292/1 The..towfish..continuously monitors the depth of a preselected isotherm by towing at about 5 knots..two depth-controlled instrument packages which bracket an isotherm.
Thesaurus »
Categories »
tow-iron n. in Whaling, the toggle-iron or harpoon to which the tow-line is attached ( Cent. Dict. 1891).
tow-plane n. an aircraft that tows gliders.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > [noun] > aircraft used to tow gliders
tug aircraft1931
tow-plane1940
tug1942
1940 Aeronautics Nov. 42/1 If the glider is more heavily loaded than the towplane, the latter will unstick first.
1973 ‘A. Hall’ Tango Briefing viii. 107 The change in the engine-note of the tow-plane.
tow-post n. a towing-post.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > other equipment of vessel > [noun] > apparatus for towing > specific
towing-bridle1867
towing-post1867
tow-rail1894
tow-post1908
1908 Daily News 29 July 4 He braced his back against the tow-post as he flicked the cleanings overboard.
tow-rail n. see quot.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > other equipment of vessel > [noun] > apparatus for towing > specific
towing-bridle1867
towing-post1867
tow-rail1894
tow-post1908
1894 Pall Mall Mag. Nov. 380 A stout arched timber, reaching from bulwark to bulwark [of a tug], termed a tow-rail.
tow-start v. (transitive) to tow (a motor vehicle) in order to start the engine.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > driving or operating a vehicle > drive a vehicle [verb (transitive)] > drive a motor vehicle > start in specific manner
swing1927
push-start1957
bump-start1967
tow-start1976
1976 A. Schroeder Shaking it Rough i. 4 We passed a trio of youths trying to tow-start an old Chevrolet.
C3. With adverbs.
towaway n. U.S. the towing away of an illegally parked vehicle; frequently attributive as towaway zone, an area from which such vehicles may be towed away.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > vehicular traffic > [noun] > traffic control > removal of illegally parked vehicle
towaway1956
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > vehicular traffic > [noun] > traffic control > removal of illegally parked vehicle > area from which vehicles may be towed
towaway zone1956
1956 Sun (Baltimore) 31 Jan. 32/6 Such cars parked in the ‘tow-a-way’ zones would be hauled off to the police impounding lot.
1967 N.Y. Times 5 Mar. 75 Despite the published warnings about illegal parking—towaways averaged close to 200 cars daily during February.
tow-out n. the action of towing a drilling platform out to an oil-field at sea.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > propelling other than by sail or oars > [noun] > towing > of an oil-rig
tow-out1975
1975 Petroleum Rev. 29 303/1 56 steel cylinders..provide buoyancy during tow-out.
1977 Offshore Engineer July 55/2 Initial plans were for flat tops to the storage tanks, but these were redesigned to increase the deck loading capacity, at tow-out, by 10,000t, to 24,000t.

Draft additions 1993

= ski tow n. at ski n. Compounds 2. Originally U.S.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > winter sports > skiing > [noun] > ski-lift
T-bar1889
tow1937
chair-lift1940
ski-lift1940
ski tow1942
skimobile1946
platter pull1949
Poma1954
telecabine1954
gondola lift1957
1937 Ski Guide for 1938 156 Woodstock: Home of the first ski tow in the country, Woodstock now has seven tows in operation.
1941 C. E. Crane Winter in Vermont 202 The tow caused a sensation at the time and was the object of universal admiration.
1963 Amer. Speech 38 204 Skiers have added new meanings to words like bathtub..and tow.
1980 J. Cartwright Horse of Darius xii. 175 The tows at the top of the mountain were buried, the paths down obscured.
1988 Ski Ann. 13 69/2 Youngsters in particular are likely to show off on a tow and slalom from side to side.

Draft additions December 2016

tow-in adj. Surfing designating or relating to a form of surfing in which a surfer is towed on his or her board by a motorized craft, such as a jet ski, into large breaking waves that are too difficult or impossible to catch using the traditional method of paddling; often as tow-in surfer, tow-in surfing.
ΚΠ
1993 Surfer Dec. 50/1 Tow-in surfing doesn't even begin until 12 to 15 feet.
2001 Adrenalin No. 9. 127/3 Barring a few solid swells, epic paddling and tow-in sessions in the 10 to 12-foot range, Dungeons kept her petticoats firmly in place.
2005 N.Y. Times (National ed.) 3 Apr. viii. 5/3 As the use of personal watercraft began to proliferate in surfing, incidents between paddle and tow-in surfers..raised the ire of paddle surfers.
2013 Cape Argus (S. Afr.) (Nexis) 2 Nov. 23 He [sc. Laird Hamilton] pioneered tow-in surfing, particularly at the surf spot in Hawaii called Jaws.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

† town.5

Forms: Middle English togh, 1500s tow, towe, tawe.
Etymology: Origin obscure: it cannot easily be connected with tye n.1, tie in same sense.
Obsolete. rare. local.
A pillow-case. Cf. tye n.1 4.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > household linen > bedclothes > [noun] > pillow-case
pillow-berec1387
codbere1411
bed-bere1420
bere1440
transomer1459
codware?1488
pillow coat1534
tow1535
ware1551–2
pillow-tye1558
pilliver1582
pillowcase1633
pillow cover1644
pillowslip1793
slip1800
1480 W. Worcester Itineraries 332 Vnam cimbam cum vna toga de Raycloth.]
1535 in F. W. Weaver Wells Wills (1890) 95 A coffer, ij pelowtowes, a salte, a gyrdell.
1542–3 Will J. Dowdynge, widow (Wells Prob. Reg.) A syller, price of 7s; a pelow with a tawe.
1543 Will R. Antell (Wells Prob. Reg.) A pillow with the tow.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2021).

towv.1

Brit. /təʊ/, U.S. /toʊ/
Forms: Old English togian, Middle English toȝen, Middle English towen, Middle English–1500s tou(e, Middle English–1700s towe, (1500s toagh, toogh, tough, 1500s–1600s togh, toe; 1500s taw, 1500s–1600s tawe), 1500s– tow.
Etymology: Old English togian to draw or pull by force, to drag, Middle English toȝen , towen = Old Frisian toga to pull roughly, pull about, Middle Low German togen (early modern Dutch togen (Kilian)), Old High German zogôn to draw, tug, drag (Middle High German zogen ), Old Norse and Norwegian toga to draw, pull < Old Germanic *togôjan , derivative verb < tog- , weak grade of ablaut-series teuh- , tauh- , tug- (tog- ) to draw: see tee v.1
†1.
a. transitive. To draw by force; to pull, drag.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impelling or driving > pushing and pulling > push and pull [verb (transitive)] > pull
teea900
drawOE
tighta1000
towc1000
tirea1300
pullc1300
tugc1320
halea1393
tilla1400
tolla1400
pluckc1400
retract?a1475
hook1577
tew1600
hike1867
c1000 Passio St. Margaret in Assmann Ags. Hom. 178 And þa godes wiðerwinnan þa fæmnan genamon, ut of þære byrig ungerædelice hi togoden.
c1275 Laȝamon Brut 7536 Julius þat sweord heold; and Nemnius þane sceald and longe þus i toȝede.
?a1400 Morte Arth. 3655 The marynerse..Towyne trvsselle one trete, trvssene vpe sailes.
1494 in T. Dickson Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1877) I. 248 Item, for a rape..quhilk was brokyne wyth towen of the tymmyr..ij s. iiij d.
1581 J. Studley tr. Seneca Agamemnon (new ed.) iii, in T. Newton et al. tr. Seneca 10 Trag. f. 149v They tough their oars and with their toyle they helpe the wynd and weather.
figurative.1583 P. Stubbes Second Pt. Anat. Abuses sig. G8v What trickling & toying, and al to tawe out mony you may be sure.
†b. To convey, carry. Obsolete. rare.
ΚΠ
c1390 (?c1350) Joseph of Arimathie (1871) l. 374 Þenne þei taken þis mon and towen him to þe temple.
c1400 (?c1380) Patience l. 100 Jonas..Maches hym with þe maryneres, makes her paye, For to towe hym in-to Tarce, as tyd as þay myȝ t.
c. To draw up or let down with a tow or rope. Scottish.In this sense perhaps directly from tow n.2
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > raising > make to go up or cause to rise [verb (transitive)] > draw or pull up > with a rope
tow1596
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > causing to come or go down > cause to come or go down [verb (transitive)] > lower or let down > with a rope
strike1545
tow1596
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 27 With lang towis and Lathiris lattin doune thay ar towit vpe.
1755 Edom o' Gordon xxii, in Percy Reliques (1765) I. 104 O row me in a pair o' sheits, And tow me owre the wa.
2.
a. spec. To draw or drag (a vessel, persons in a boat, etc.) on the water by a rope. to tow (a boat) under water, to swamp by towing.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > [verb (transitive)]
haveeOE
ferryOE
weighOE
bearOE
take?a1160
weve13..
carry1348
passa1350
tow1391
geta1393
convey1393
winc1400
transport1483
set1487
convoy1500
traduce1535
port1566
repair1612
vehiculate1628
transmute1683
transplant1769
gallant1806
transit1859
inveigh1878
waltz1884
sashay1928
conduct-
society > travel > travel by water > propelling other than by sail or oars > propel boat other than by sail or oars [verb (transitive)] > tow
tow1391
track1727
society > travel > travel by water > propelling other than by sail or oars > propel boat other than by sail or oars [verb (transitive)] > tow > pull as in trying to move
tow1391
1290 [implied in: Rolls of Parl. I. 27/1 Cum Dominus Rex habeat & habere debeat Towagium navium & batellorum majorum & minorum in Aqua de Tyne, ascendendo versus Novum Castrum. (at towage n. 1)] ].
1391 Earl Derby's Exp. (Camden) 23 Pro touyng navem domini de la hauen apud Boston.
c1503 R. Arnold Chron. f. xlixv/2 After tyme she was weyed and toued to the hauyn at caleis.
1562 J. Shute tr. A. Cambini in Two Comm. Turcks i. f. 34v They tawed the palandre after them.
1589 Voy. W. Towrson in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations i. 117 Her rudder was broken, so that the Hart was glad to towe her.
1589 W. Warner Albions Eng. (new ed.) vi. xxix. 129 I will..toogh the Pinnesse of my thoughts to kenning of your Eyes.
1597 Bp. J. King Lect. Ionas iv. 56 They..labored..to tough [1618 toagh] their ships to land.
1599 J. Lok in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (new ed.) II. i. 107 The boat, (which we toed asterne from Iaffa).
1605 J. Sylvester tr. G. de S. Du Bartas Deuine Weekes & Wks. i. i. 20 He that..toughes against the tide His laden Barge.
1620 R. Cocks Diary (1883) II. 113 I sent out 4 barkes to helpe to toe her.
1630 M. Drayton Muses Elizium ii. 20 Swans vpon the Streame to tawe me, Stags vpon the Land to draw me.
1644 Z. Boyd Garden of Zion I. 369 In thy great Barge me togh against the tide.
1743 J. Bulkeley & J. Cummins Voy. to South-seas 143 We took from the Indians a Canoe, made of the Bark of Trees, but soon towed her under Water.
1748 Defoe's Tour Great Brit. (ed. 4) I. 154 King's-Ferry, where a long Cable of about an hundred and forty Fathom,..fastened at each End across the Water, serves to get over the Boat by hand... The Ferry-keeper..is obliged to tow all Travellers over free.
1877 A. B. Edwards Thousand Miles up Nile vii. 174 Barges towed by government steam-tugs.
b. intransitive. To pull or tug as in trying to move.
ΚΠ
1884 Law Times 10 May 26/2 A tug towed at her for an hour and a half before she was got off.
3. transitive. To drag by or as by a line. (humorous.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > impelling or driving > pushing and pulling > push and pull [verb (transitive)] > pull > with a rope
trice?a1400
tow1663
1663 S. Butler Hudibras: First Pt. i. ii. 157 The Knight himself did after ride, Leading Crowdero by his side, And tow'd him, if he lagg'd behind.
1767 Lady M. Coke Jrnl. 29 July (1889) II. 68 Monsieur Wangenheim was towing up Lady Sarah, and complain'd it was hard work.
1803 W. Scott Let. 14 Oct. (1932) I. 206 A rosy lass..entered our cottage, towing in a monstrous sort of bull-dog.
1883 W. H. Bishop in Harper's Mag. Mar. 503/1 A mounted Mexican towing a bull.
1884 Nonconformist & Independent 12 June 578/1 Mr. Cumberland, blindfolded, towed another dignified gentleman through the streets by a silken cord.
4. intransitive or absol. To advance or proceed by towing or being towed.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > propelling other than by sail or oars > propel boat other than by sail or oars [verb (intransitive)] > proceed by being towed
tow1612
track1854
1612 M. Drayton Poly-olbion ii. 33 When toghing vp that streame..shee yet conceales her name.
1624 J. Smith Gen. Hist. Virginia iii. vi. 61 He would..cause..divers of his Countrymen helpe vs towe against winde or tyde.
1667 London Gaz. No. 186/4 One of them endeavoured to tow after him.
1695 R. Blackmore Prince Arthur vi. 371 At last King Octa..Commanding all to follow, tows away.
1720 D. Defoe Life Capt. Singleton 95 We tow'd up as far as..our Boats would swim.
1813 R. Southey Life Nelson I. iii. 143 The French vessels were allowed to tow out of the port of Genoa.
1874 F. G. D. Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. vi. 172 The heaviest boats should be nearest the tow. Weighted boats tow best.

Derivatives

towed adj. /təʊd/
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > propelling other than by sail or oars > [adjective] > that is towed
towed1898
1898 Daily News 4 Aug. 5/3 The river journey in towed barges from Shellal to Wady Halfa.
1901 Westm. Gaz. 8 July 9/3 One tug, and one towed raft, two self-propelled rafts.

Draft additions 1993

c. transitive. To move or draw (a motor vehicle, etc., esp. one parked illegally or disabled) by towing; frequently const. away and (colloquial) absol. in this sense.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance by drawing along > draw along or haul [verb (transitive)]
drawOE
traila1500
tract1523
tow1933
1933 Aeroplane 2 Aug. 218/1 The passengers..were out of the machine, which had been towed away from the passenger-deplaning area.
1952 Motor Man. (ed. 34) xiii. 244 The owner who wants to tow his caravan from home to some pleasant site where he can leave the van during the summer months.
1975 Drive Spring 40/2 We were asked to collect a car from a chap who had stripped it to service an identical second car... But it was the runner we towed away. The wreck was in the garage.
1984 E. Jong Parachutes & Kisses iv. 62 She parks.., wondering whether her car will be towed or the tyres slashed.
1990 Sun 31 Jan. 7 Thieves towed away a three-seater port-a-loo.

Draft additions 1993

b. Athletics. To bring (other competitors) along rapidly by setting a fast pace.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > racing or race > race (a race) [verb (transitive)] > in specific manner
pace1886
tow1959
1959 Times 23 Apr. 17/5 Smith..took the lead from the gun, and towed Hall, Givan, and Walshaw past the bell in 56.5 sec.
1984 Runner (U.S.) Oct. 62/1 In the first of two 800-meter semifinal heats Kenya's Edwin Koech towed the field through a first lap split of 49.56.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

towv.3

Brit. /təʊ/, U.S. /toʊ/
Etymology: < tow n.1
transitive. To comb or card flax; also, to reduce to the state of tow or fibre. See also towing n.2
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > treating or processing textile materials > treating or processing flax, hemp, or jute > treat or process flax, hemp, or jute [verb (transitive)] > heckle
hatchela1325
hecklea1325
hack1577
hackle1599
carminate1604
tow1615
rough1817
ruff1853
strick1894
1615 G. Markham Eng. House-wife (1668) ii. v. 134 That which comes from the flaxe being a little towed again in a pair of Wooll Cards, will make a course harding.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

towv.4

Etymology: < tow n.1
Pottery Manufacturing
transitive. To smooth the surface of (earthenware or china) when in the dry clay state before firing, by rubbing it with tow, sand-paper, or flannel. Cf. towing n.3
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2019).

towint.v.2

Brit. /təʊ/, U.S. /toʊ/
Forms: 1500s towe; English regional 1700s tow (Gloucestershire), 1800s tou (East Anglian).
Origin: A variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymon: stow int.
Etymology: Probably a variant of stow int.With the use in hunting with greyhounds compare earlier stoo int.
A. int.
A word used in calling a hawk, and in urging on greyhounds.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hawking > hawking calls [interjection] > hawking calls
stowc1520
tow1575
1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 182 Make them come from it to your fist..with calling and chirping to them, saying: Towe, Towe, or Stowe, Stowe, as Falconers vse.
B. v.2
transitive. To urge (greyhounds) on with this call.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > signals > call or signal [verb (transitive)] > call to hounds
hollo in, off?1602
tow1793
1793 F. Grose Olio (1796) 178 Towing on two greyhounds, the constant attendants on his steps, pursued the game. Note. Tow, Tow, used in setting on greyhounds in Gloucestershire.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1913; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

> as lemmas

TOW
TOW n. tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (missile).
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > missile > guided or ballistic missile > [adjective] > guided
self-guided1927
guided1945
teleguided1963
TOW1972
wire-guided1993
1972 Guardian 22 Aug. 3/1 The missiles [are] called TOWs... TOW stands for tube-launched, optically tracked, and wire-guided.
1976 N.Y. Times 28 Mar. 1 The TOW missile can be used offensively from jeeps or armed cars.
extracted from Tn.
<
n.11336n.21513n.31407n.41600n.51535v.1c1000v.31615v.4int.v.21575
as lemmas
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