▪ I. throe, † throw(e, n.
(θrəʊ)
Forms: α. 3 (?) þrahe, 4–5 þraue, þrawe, thrawe, 4–6 thrau(e, (4 traue), 4–5 (Sc. 6–) thraw (θrɔː, θrɑː). β. 3–4 þrowe, 4–7 throwe, (4 throghe), 6–8 throw. γ. 7– throe.
[Throe is a late alteration (noted first in 1615) of the earlier throwe, throw (which survived as late as 1733). The origin and history of ME. þrowe (found c 1200), and its northern form þraw(e, þraw, thrau (known c 1300, and still in use in Sc.) is not quite clear.
The normal source of an Eng. ōw: Sc. aw, as in blow: blaw, crow: craw, snow: snaw, is an OE. áw; this would lead us to see in þrow(e: þraw(e, an early derivative from the verb þrowen: þrawen, OE. þráwan, throw v.1, in its early sense ‘to twist, rack, torture’ (cf. throw v.1 1, quots. c 1000). Some suggest that the n. represented OE. þrawu, ‘painful infliction, affliction, plague, pang, evil’ (Bosw.-Toller), which is perh. favoured by the instance c 1250 of þrahes riming with lahes ‘laws’ (if that belongs here). But þrawu would normally give in midland and southern Eng. not throwe but thrawe (cf. claw). On the other hand, a derivation (also suggested) from OE. þrówian, throw v.2 ‘to suffer’, which would suit Eng. throw, would not explain the northern thraw. If then the word was orig. the OE. þrawu, we should have to suppose that this by 1200 (under the influence of þrówian to suffer) became þrōwe, but remained in the north as þrawe, thraw, and eventually ran together with thraw, throw n.2, from thraw, throw v.1
The identity of throe with ME. throwe, makes its derivation from OE. þrá, ME. thro, thra n. impossible. The change of throw(e to throe was app. merely quasi-phonetic; cf. hoe, roe (of fish) for earlier howe, rowe, also bloe as a 16th c. variant of blow n., and on the other hand slow-worm for slo-worm, OE. slá-wyrm; throe would gain favour as making a distinction between this word and throw n.2 in its ordinary English use. In Scotland, on the other hand, where thraw vb. has kindred senses, thraw remains unchanged as the form of this n., as in deid-thraw = death-throe.]
1. A violent spasm or pang, such as convulses the body, limbs, or face. Also, a spasm of feeling; a paroxysm; agony of mind; anguish. a. In general sense.
| α c 1325 Metr. Hom. 36 Welthe to pride our hert draus, And wa geres us thol hard traues [MS. C. thrawes; rime draus]. ? a 1500 Chester Plays (E.E.T.S.) 438 Suffer I must many a hard Thraw. 1673 Wedderburn's Vocab. 19 (Jam.) Tormen alvi, a thraw in the bellie. 1793 Burns Blithe hae I been ii, If she winna ease the thraws In my bosom swelling. |
| β c 1374 Chaucer Troylus v. 206 Troylus..his sorwes þat he spared hadde He yaf an yssue large..And in his þrowes frenetyk and madde He curssed loue. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 273 And for thin ese..Thi love throghes forto lisse. 1549 J. Cheke in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden) 8 How honorable is it to fli from honors throws. 1597 Gerarde Herbal i. xxi. §2. 27 The throwes and gripings of the bellie. 1607 Shakes. Timon v. i. 203 Their pangs of Loue, with other incident throwes That Natures fragile Vessell doth sustaine. 1719 De Foe Crusoe (Hotten's repr.) 408 Frequent Throws and Pangs of Appetite, that nothing but the Tortures of Death can imitate. |
| γ 1730–46 Thomson Autumn 1322 His heart distends With gentle throes. 1787 Burns Let. to Earl of Glencairn, I conjure your lordship, by the honest throe of gratitude. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles ii. i, But ask thou not..If the loud laugh disguise convulsive throe. 1860 C. Sangster Hesperus, etc. 166 Tumultuous throes Of some vast grief. 1870 Disraeli Lothair lvi, In the very throes of its fell despair. |
spec. b. The pain and struggle of childbirth;
pl. labour-pangs.
| α c 1250 Comp. Mariæ in Napier Hist. Rood-t. 78 Nou þu moostes, lauedi, lere Wmmone wo þat barnes bere, Þa bitter and ta bale þrahes [MS. þrehes; rime lahes (laws)]. 13.. K. Alis. 606 Time is come the lady schal childe:..The thrawes [Bodl. MS. þrowen] hire afongon. |
| β c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 181 Elch wimman..þan hie beð mid childe bistonden..nimeð hire stundmele so bittere þrowes. Ibid., Ðat child on his burde þoleð ec bittere þrowe. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 472/354 Hire token ful strongue þrowes. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 211 This hell [= hill] on his childinge lay, And whan the throwes on him come His noise..Was ferfull. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 493/1 Throwe, womannys pronge. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage viii. xiv. 685 All the throwes..of this hills monstrous trauells. 1690 C. Nesse Hist. & Myst. O. & N. Test. I. 52 The throws in birth be so torturing as no kind of torments can parallel. 1733 Cheyne Eng. Malady ii. x. §3 (1734) 220 The Fœtus, by its Motion or Pressure, raises those Throws and Convulsions in the Mother. |
| γ 1615 Chapman Odyss. xix. 565 Moane for my daughters yet vnended throes. 1621 Quarles Esther Div. Poems (1717) 131 By throes, God sends a joyful birth. 1667 Milton P.L. ii. 780 My womb..Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes. 1715–20 Pope Iliad xvii. 6 Her new-fall'n young..Fruit of her throes. 1742 Young Nt. Th. i. 241 In this shape, or in that, has fate entail'd The mother's throes on all of woman born. |
c. The agony of death; the death-struggle, death-throe (
Sc. deid-thraw).
| α a 1300 Cursor M. 24317 (Cott.) Wit hard thraus [Ed. thrauis, F. þrawes, G. thraues] þat he throu, Þai sagh þat he to ded drou. Ibid. 24726 (Edin.) Euir apon his þraues [Gött. passiun] þink. Ibid. 16762 + 64 (Cott.) For þe grete thraws of ded. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 358 Hur husband lay in dead thrawis. 1549 Compl. Scotl. xiv. 121 Quhen darius vas in the agonya and deitht thrau. a 1823 G. Beattie John o' Arnha' (1826) 39 Some glowr'd an' thratch'd, in deadly thraws. |
| β 13.. K. Alis. 720 (Bodl. MS.) In his deþ þrowe he was swowe. c 1330 Asump. Virg. 533 Ȝif any..wille on his last þrowe Schryue him. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. x. 41 O man! have mind of that last bitter throw. 1629 Sir W. Mure True Crucifixe 1581 Death's tormenting throws. |
| γ 1814 Scott Wav. lxix, The throes of a mortal and painful disorder. 1833 H. Martineau Tale of Tyne vi. 113 The agony of..outrage transcends the throes of dissolution. |
2. transf. and
fig. A violent convulsion or struggle preceding or accompanying the ‘bringing forth’ of something.
| 1698 Crowne Caligula iii. 18 For that poor chaff how will he thrash his brains, He is in throws before, but then he's eas'd. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) II. ix. 373 When a nation is in the throes of revolution, wild spirits are abroad in the storm. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. viii. 59 A..scene, suggesting throes of spasmodic energy. 1878 J. J. Young Ceram. Art (1879) 125 The author is represented seated at a table..in the very throes of composition. |
3. attrib. and
Comb.| 1835 Sterling in Carlyle Life ii. ii. (1872) 101 The restless immaturity of our self-consciousness, and the promise of its long throe-pangs. 1839 Bailey Festus xxxiv. (1852) 552 Awhile in dead throe-like suspense they stood. 1883 Century Mag. Oct. 819/1 The wild, throe-built, water-quarried rock gorges. |
▪ II. throe, † throw(e, v. rare.
[f. prec. n.] † 1. trans. To cause to suffer throes; to agonize as in childbirth; to torture.
Obs. rare.
| 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. i. 231 A birth..Which throwes thee much to yeeld. 1683 Kennett tr. Erasm. on Folly 51 How many..pangs of a labouring mind ye are perpetually thrown and tortured with. |
2. intr. To suffer throes; to agonize; to be convulsed, ‘labour’, struggle painfully.
| a 1618 [see below]. 1880 L. Wallace Ben-Hur (1887) 388 His memory began to throe and struggle. |
Hence
throeing vbl. n.| a 1618 Sylvester Honour's Fare-well 105 Soul's sad Repenting, and Heart's heavy Throeing, Are surest Fruits that in the World are growing. |
▪ III. throe obs. form of
thro a., stubborn, etc.