ˈdraw-boy
1. a. orig. The boy employed to pull the cords of the harness in figure-weaving; hence b. The piece of mechanism by which this is now effected.
| 1731 Mortimer in Phil. Trans. XXXVII. 105 Mr. Le Blon's new Way of weaving Tapestry in the Loom with a Draw-boy. 1831 G. R. Porter Silk Manuf. 239 This machine..from its standing in the stead of a person who was distinguished by that name..is called a draw-boy. 1835 Ure Philos. Manuf. 339 The occupation of draw-boys and girls to harness-loom weavers..is by far the lowest and least sought after of any connected with the manufacture of cotton. 1851 [see draw-loom s.v. draw-]. |
2. An article exposed for sale in a shop window at a very low price to attract customers. slang.
| 1864 Hotten Slang Dict. 125 Draw-boy, a cunning device used by puffing tradesmen. |