▪ I. collow, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(ˈkɒləʊ, -ə)
Also 5 colwe(n, 5–6 colowe, (9 dial. collar).
[Late ME. colwen perh.:—OE. *colᵹian, f. *coliᵹ coaly, f. col coal (cf. hálᵹian, ME. halwen to hallow, f. háliᵹ holy): see also colly v. and a. With mod. dial. collar, cf. foller = follow.]
trans. To make black or dirty with coal-dust or soot; to blacken, smut, begrime. Hence ˈcollowed (ME. kolled) ppl. a., ˈcollowing vbl. n.
| c 1310 K. Horn (Ritson) 1088 His kollede snoute. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 88 Colwyd [Pynson colowde], carbonatus. Ibid. Colwynge [P. colowynge], carbonizacio. 1530 Palsgr. 489/1 Colowe thy face, charbonne ton visage. 1605 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iii. (1641) 156/1 Now scarr'd, and collow'd..Cover'd with ashes. 1611 Cotgr., Poisler, to collow, smut, smeere, bleach, begryme with the blacke side, or soot of a skellet, etc. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Collar, to sully with soot or coal-dust. 1879 G. F. Jackson Shropsh. Word-bk., Collow, to blacken with soot..People black themselves with coal, but collow themselves with soot. 1884 Chesh. Gloss., Collow, or Colly, to blacken. 1888 Sheffield Gloss., Collared, smeared with black dirt, soot. |
▪ II. collow, n. Obs. exc. dial.
(ˈkɒləʊ, -ə)
Also dial. collar.
[? f. prec. vb.: cf. colly n.]
1. Soot; smut; grime of coal; coal-dust. Cf. colly n.
| 1675 Cotton Poet. Wks. (1765) 194 All his Collow and his Soot, His Dirt, and Sweat, and Stink to boot. Ibid. 228 This foul Thief, all smutch with Collow. 1728 Woodward Fossils (J.), Collow is the word by which they denote black grime of burnt coals or wood. 1774 Pennant Tours Scotl. (1790) II. 49 Collow signifying the dirt of coal. 1879 G. F. Jackson Shropsh. Word-bk., Collow, soot, such as is commonly seen on a firegrate, pots, or kettles. 1887 S. Chesh. Gloss., Collow, soot. Yur feece is all o'er collow. |
2. (See quots.)
| 1847–78 Halliwell, Collar, smut in wheat. Kent. 1887 Kent. Dial., Collar, smut in wheat. |
3. collar-coal: see colly n.1 3; collar-bags = 2.
| a 1800 A. Young Ann. Agric. XVI. 311 Collar bags, or smut [in Kent]. |