frough, frow, a. Obs. exc. dial.
Forms: 3 frouh, 4 frouȝ, 5 frogh, 5, 6, 9 Sc. freuch, (6 frewch, 8 freugh), 4, 7– frow, 8 frowe, 5, 7– frough.
[Of obscure origin: the forms point back to OE. *fróh, or possibly *þróh; a word of the latter form is represented by þróᵹum ‘rancidis’, þrón ‘rancida’ (Napier OE. Gll. vii. 193, 210); for the meaning cf. froughy.]
1. Liable to break or give way, not to be depended on, frail, brittle. lit. and fig.
| c 1275 Luue Ron 44 in O.E. Misc. (1872) 94 Hit is fals and mereuh and frouh. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 2305 Þoghe þe prest be fals or frow. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iii. 671 Ek thike ysowe is frough [L. sectilis] And rare ysowe is heded grete & tough. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 525 Oft fair foullis ar fundin faynt, and als freuch. 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon. i. vii, Quha suld haue firm esperance in this, Whilk is alace sa ffreuch and variant? 1568 Bannatyne Poems (1770) 185 This warld is verry frewch. 1664 Evelyn Sylva (1679) 18 Timber..which grows in Gravel is subject to be Frow (as they term it) and brittle. 1674–91 Ray N.C. Words 28 Frough, loose, spungy. Frough wood, brittle. a 1722 Lisle Husb. (1757) 37 The arms of an ash-tree are commonly put in if they be not too frowe. 1787 Grose Prov. Gloss., Frough-wood, brittle wood. 1785 Jrnl. fr. Lond. in Poems Buchan Dial. 5 The swingle-trees flew in flinders, as gin they had been as freugh as kail-castacks. 1825 Brockett N.C. Words, Frough, loose, spungy, easily broken. |
2. Crisp or ‘short’ to the taste.
| c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iii. 662 To make hem frough, kitte of the bladys longe. |
3. Sc. (See quot.)
| 1808–80 Jamieson, Freuch..2. dry; applied to corn, that has recovered from the effects of rain in the time of harvest. |