An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language / in which the words are explained in their different senses, authorized by the names of the writers by whom they are used, or the titles of the works in which they occur, and deduced from their originals

by John Jamieson

Couthily, adv. Kindly, familiarly, S.
Ross.

Couthiness, Coudiness, s. Facetiousness, kindness, S.

COUTTERTHIRL, s. The vacuity between the coulter and the ploughshare, S.
V. [Thirl].

To COW, v. a.
1. To poll the head, S.
Bellenden.
2. To clip short, in general.
Polwart.
3. To cut, to prune, to lop off.
V. [Coll], v.
To cow out, to cut out.
4. To eat up as food, S.
Popul. Ball.
5. To be cowit, to be bald.
Dunbar.
6. It occurs as signifying shaven; applied to the Roman tonsure.
Cleland.

Isl. koll-r, tonsum caput.

7. Often used metaph. S. like E. snib.
Ramsay.

Cow, Kow, s.
1. A twig of any shrub or plant, S.
Priests Pebl.
2. Used to denote a bush.
Minst. Bord.
3. A besom made of broom, S.
Warton.
4. An instrument of correction, like E. birch, S.
5. The fuel used for a temporary fire, S.
Ross.
6. The act of pruning, viewed metaph. S.
Burns.

COW, KOW, s.
1. A scarecrow, S.
Hamilton.
2. A hobgoblin, S.
Philotus.
To play kow, to act the part of a goblin.
Roull.

From E. cow, to intimidate; or Isl. kug, suppressio.

Cow. Brown cow, a ludicrous designation given by the vulgar to a barrel of beer or ale, from its colour, as contra-distinguished from that of milk, S.
Ramsay.