▪ I. rowen Now chiefly dial. and U.S.
(ˈraʊən)
Forms: α. 4 rewayn, 5 ryweyn, 6 rewen. β. 5 raweyne, rawen, 8–9 rawing (9 rawn). γ. 5 rowayne, roweyn, 6– rowen, 9 rouen, rowan; 7 rowin, 7–9 rowing.
[a. ONF. *rewain (cf. mod.Picard rouain, Norman revouin), = OF. (and mod.F.) regain: for the etymology of the second element see gain n.2 and v.2 An Anglo-Latin rewaynum occurs in the 14th cent.]
1. The second growth or crop of grass or hay in a season; aftermath, eddish. Cf. roughings.
The precise application of the term (esp. with regard to cutting the aftergrowth or leaving it for pasture) varies to some extent in different localities.
| α a 1345 in Bp. Hatfield's Survey (Surtees) 201 Et de 10s. rec. de rewayno omnium pratorum in parco post falcacionem. 1382 Ibid. 170 Pastura prati, post asportationem feni de Rewayn. c 1470 Hors, Shepe, & G. (Roxb.) 7 The second croppe they carye home of ryweyn. 1577 [see γ]. |
| β c 1440 Promp. Parv. 424/2 Raweyne, hey (P. rawen), fenum serotinum. 1710 D. Hilman Tusser Rediv. xvi. 25 Ther is a Water-retting and a Dew retting, which last is done on a good Rawing, or aftermath of a Meadow Water. 1866 Athenæum 23 June 827/2 The ‘rawing’ of our East Anglian farmers. 1895 Rye E. Angl. Gloss., Rawn, a second growth of meadow grass. |
| γ c 1440 Hors, Shepe, & G. 140 The secunde crop, thei carie home Roweyn [v.r. Rowayne]. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (Percy Soc.) 9 Gyve to the bestes good rowen in pleynte. 1580 Tusser Husb. (1878) 126 Which euer ye sowe, that first eat lowe. The other forbare for rowen [1577 rewen] to spare. 1656 Blount Glossogr., Edish,..the rowen or aftermath. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric., Rowen, rough Pasture full of Stubble or Weeds. 1710 D. Hilman Tusser Rediv. (J), Rowen is a field kept up till after Michaelmas, that the corn left on the ground may sprout into green. 1796 J. Adams Diary Wks. 1851 III. 417 A soft fine rain..will..lay the foundation of fine rowen and after feed. 1805 R. W. Dickson Pract. Agric. II. 972 Cow-keepers find great advantage in keeping the animals constantly fed with..fresh cut grass, and soft green rouen. 1846 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. VII. i. 61 Sainfoin..will yield a good crop of hay..; and the rowen is most valuable for lambs. 1880 Howells Undiscov. Country xx. 309 The sunny glisten of meadows where the Shakers' hired men were cutting the rowan. |
| fig. 1875 Galaxy XIX. 560 The rowen of Democratic victory has been as plenteous as the harvest. |
b. In
pl. form.
| 1638 Quarles Hieroglyph. xiv. iii. Wks. (Grosart) III. 196 By the low-shorn Rowins doth appear The fast-declining year. 1639 Horn & Rob. Gate Lat. Unl. xxxv. §419 The lateward crop (eddish, rowings) shoots out afresh of grass springing up the second time. 1721 Mortimer Husb. (ed. 3) I. 233 For the Wintering of Cattle, about September you must turn them out..into your Rowens. 1805 R. W. Dickson Pract. Agric. II. 1030 In order to their being fattened out on the rouens. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Rawings, after grass. 1850 Mrs. Browning Lady Geraldine's Courtship xxxix, And across it from the rowans A brown partridge whirring near us, till we felt the air it bore. 1876 Surrey Gloss. s.v., To put the cattle into the rowens is to turn them out into the fields lately mown. |
| fig. a 1644 Quarles Virgin Widow Wks. (Grosart) III. 292/2 When we had taken the first crop of his exuberous baggs, you might have then made bold to eate the Rowens. |
† 2. a. = rowen partridge. Also
transf. of a woman.
Obs.| 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 219 As for the partridges,..the old rowens full subtilly seeme to wait the comming of the said hunters [etc.]. 1603 Philotus xxxiii, The deuill cum lick that beird auld rowan; Now sie the trottibus and trowane, Sa busilie as sho is wowane. |
† b. Rowen butter or cheese.
Obs.| 1675 H. Woolley Gentlew. Comp. 215 When your Rowens come in,..do not lavish away your Milk-butter or Cheese. |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
rowen crop,
rowen grass,
rowen hay; also
† rowen butter (see
quot. 1745);
† rowen (-tailed) partridge, a partridge frequenting a field of rowen grass or hay:
cf. ruin-tailed).
With
quot. 1882
cf. rowet,
quot. 1893.
| 1523 Acc. St. John's Hosp., Cant. (MS.), For the rowen grass of the appull garden. 1600 Holland Pliny xviii. xxviii, The rowen grasse afterwards commeth up..thicke and high for pasture and forrage. Ibid., To the end there may be a second math of rowen hay in Autumne. 1603 ― Plutarch's Mor. 570 The old rowen partridges teach their yoong ones how to runne awaie from before the fowler. 1626 Breton Fantastickes Wks. (Grosart) II. 7/1 Bucks now are in season, and Partridges are Rowen-taild. 1745 De Foe's Eng. Tradesm. iii. (1841) I. 23 You bargain for the right rowing butter, which is the butter that is made when the cows are turned into the grounds which have been mowed. 1765 Museum Rust. IV. 275, I shut that up for a rowen (aftermass) crop of hay. 1801 Huntington Bank of Faith 91 This I feared would fall heavy upon me, as my rowen hay keeps my cows. 1866 J. E. Brogden Prov. Linc. s.v. Rowen, The rowen hay season affords..an extra employment. 1882 Jefferies Bevis III. xvii. 268 Grey rowen grass at the verge of the ditch showed that frost had wandered thither. |
▪ II. rowen (-cheese) see
ruen.