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.
| α 1375 Barbour 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. c 1459 Reg. Aberbrothoc (Bann. Cl.) II. 108 Owr bailye..straik the sommys in twa and hewyt the plwche. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. I. 171 Thair wapynis..[they] maid thame all in somes to thair pleuche. 1582 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees, 1860) 46, ij plewes..with socke and culter, viij draught yokes, viij somes. 1765 A. Dickson Treat. Agric. (ed. 2) 255 The soam of the pair immediately before the hindmost must be fixed..to the beam. 1799 J. Robertson Agric. Perth 103 That inconvenience is prevented in the plough by using a long chain (provincially a soam). 1844 H. 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. |
| β 1404 Durh. Acc. Rolls (Surtees) 398, ij cultris,..iij plogherbandis, viij sowmes. 1451 Durh. Depos. (Surtees) 30, iij crokes, j sowme. 1513 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. IV. 513 For xx stane of towis to be soumes for the gunnys. 1572 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees, 1835) 350, ix sowmes, iiij plewes, iij cowters. 1662 in Pitcairn Crim. Trials III. 603 Paddokis did draw the plewgh, as oxen; qwickens wer sowmes. 1752 Rec. Elgin (New Spalding Cl.) I. 465 Sowms, thramels, rigwoodies,..and all other..work of..straw, bent or rushes. |
2. Coal-mining. (See
quots.)
| 1789 Brand Hist. Newcastle II. 681 In low seams, [the coals are drawn] on trams, pulled by two small cords, called soams, by a boy. 1851 Greenwell 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. 1883 Gresley 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. |