▪ I. † trow, n.1 Obs. rare.
(trəʊ)
[f. trow v. (cf. Norse, Sw., Dan. tro).]
1. Belief; faith, trust.
| c 1300 Cursor M. 22722 (Edin.) Þai þat war in dred and dout, Þar-of wit trow [v.rr. trouth, trouþe] he broht þaim out. [1883 G. Stephens Bugge's Stud. N. Mythol. 149 Teaching of the new trow by help of the old.] |
2. Fancy, supposition.
| 14.. Beryn 38 For they that loven so passyngly, such trowes þey have echone. a 1536 Calisto & Melib. A iv, Her lyttyll handis in meane maner this is no trow. |
3. Faith as pledged, covenant:
= troth n. 2.
| 1515 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. V. 40 For keeping the day of trow. 1634 Malory's Arthur ix. viii. (1816) I. 375 Then sir Plenorius yielded him and his tower, and all his prisoners at his will; and then sir Launcelot received him, and took his trow [1470–85 trouthe]. |
▪ II. trow, n.2 local.
(
trəʊ, locally
trou,
traʊ)
[Dial. variant of trough.] A name for various kinds of boats or barges:
spec. a. Formerly, on the Severn, a large flat-bottomed sailing barge;
b. in the south of Scotland and north of England, a double canoe or boat used in spearing salmon by torch-light (also
pl. const. as sing.): see
quot. 1825 (?
obs.);
c. on the south coast of England, a small flat-bottomed boat used in herring-fishing.
d. attrib., as
trow-fisher,
trow-lock; also
trowman.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 10218 Arthur..gadered botes, chalans, & trowes. 1479 Office Mayor of Bristol in Eng. Gilds (1870) 424 Such as bryngeth whete to towne, as wele in trowys, as otherwyse, by lande and by watir. 1778 Wesley Wks. (1872) XI. 144 Are there fewer trows or barges employed on rivers and canals? 1825 Jamieson, Trows,..used in Roxb. and other southern shires, to denote two pieces of wood, each formed like the half or section of an ellipsis, fenced with upright boards, so as to prevent the entrance of water. These two are conjoined... An interstice is left between the two sections, so that the water is seen distinctly through it. This sort of vessel..is used..in night-fishing on rivers for salmon. 1835 ‘Stephen Oliver’ Rambles Northumb. 154 ‘The trows’..used in spearing salmon in parts of the river where they cannot be taken with a net. The trows consist of..two narrow boats,..connected at the top by a piece of flat board. Ibid. 155 Some of the old trow-fishers here are of opinion [etc.]. 1838 Simms Public Wks. Gt. Brit. ii. 14 The trow-lock [in the Gloucester and Berkeley canal] is eighty-one feet six inches long. 1875 Bristol Times 17 June (E.D.D.), The Fanny was a ketch-rigged (two-masted) trow, of 120 tons.., and was used for trading purposes. 1888 Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. s.v., On the south coast about Sidmouth a small fishing-boat is a trow. 1899 Daily News 13 Feb. 7/3 The trow ‘Flower of the Severn’,..moored in the river, was carried away by the tide and wrecked. |
▪ III. † trow, n.3 Obs. rare.
Also
trew.
[a. OF. trëud, trëu, trou, etc. (Roland, 11th c.):—L. tribūt-um tribute.] = trewage, toll.
| c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1732 Ȝe mote furst..þe truwage make fyn þat to þis brigge longeþ..do tell me wat is þe trow. Ibid. 4471 Tel me, sire,..Of þys passage what ys þe trow? Ibid. 4477 My trew þay sayde þay wolde pay. |
▪ IV. trow, n.4 Orkney and
Shetland.
(
trou)
[= Swed. troll: see troll n.2] = troll n.2| 1640 Orkney Witch Trial in Abbotsford Cl. Misc. I. 167 Ȝe ansuered hir againe, that it was but the Trow that haid gripped her. 1643 ibid. 173 Knoweing that the said Thomas was lying seik in his hous, ȝe said that it was the sea trow or spirit that was lying vpoun him. 1701 Brand Descr. Orkney etc. (1703) 115 They tell us that several such Creatures do appear to Fishers at Sea, particularly such as they call Sea-Trowes. 1822 Scott Pirate v, Other [magicians] dealt with spirits of a different and less odious class—the ancient dwarfs, called, in Zetland, Trows, or Drows, the modern fairies, and so forth. 1868 D. Gorrie Summ. & Wint. Orkneys v. 168 The trows, or drows,..resembled the daoine shith of the Highlanders, in the malevolent feelings which they..entertained towards mankind. 1883 R. M. Fergusson Rambling Sk. Far North xvii. 121 It was an unlucky moment when a fisherman cast his eyes on a sea⁓trow; panic and fear seized him. |
▪ V. trow, v. arch. (
trəʊ)
Forms: α. 1
tr{uacu}wian, 4
truu, 4–5
tru, 4–6 (8–9
Sc.)
true. β. 1
tréowan,
tréowian, 3
treowe, 3–6 (9
Sc.)
trew, 4 ?
Sc. treu. γ. 3–5
trowen, (3 (
Orm.)
trowwenn, 4
trouwe), 3–6 (8
Sc.)
trou, 4–7
trowe, (4
Sc. throw,
throu), 5
troue, 5–7
tro, (8
tro'), 5, 9
Sc. troo, 6–7
troe,
troa, 4–
trow. δ. (
north. dial.) 4
trau, (
tray), 4–5
traue,
trawe,
traw, (5
traywe).
Pa. tense and
pple. trowed (
trəʊd); also
pa. tense 3–5
-ede, 4–6
Sc. -it, etc.; 4
troud, 4–6
trowd, 6
troude;
pa. pple. 4
troud,
troude,
trod,
trawet, 5
trawt; (4 (?)
trowen).
[OE. had more than one type: (1) OE. tr{uacu}wian, f. tr{uacu}wa n. ‘faith, belief’ = OS. trûon (MLG. truwe), OHG. trû(u)ên (MHG. trûen, truuen, Ger. trauen), ON. tr{uacu}a (Sw. and Norw. tro), Goth. trauan, OTeut. *trûwian, from base trū̆-, orig. ‘strong, firm, sure’; (2) OE. tréowan, tréowian, from tréowe ‘faith, belief’, with the ablaut grade *tréu(w); cf. OS. tre(u)wa, OWFris. trouwa (MLG., MDu., Du. trouwen to believe, trust, espouse). Of the two OE. forms, tr{uacu}wian was the earlier and more usual; but its place was mainly taken in ME. by trowen, with its variants traue, traw, from tréow(i)an. In some of the ME. forms, tr{uacu}wian and tréow(i)an appear to run together.] † 1. trans. (
orig. intr. with dat.;
cf. 2). To trust, have confidence in, believe (a person or thing).
| α c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. ix. 58 Swiðe eaðe mæᵹ on smyltre sæ unᵹelæred scipstiora ᵹenoh ryhte stieran, ac se ᵹelæreda him ne truwað on ðære hreon sæ & on ðæm miclan stormum. 13.. Cursor M. 4366 (Cott.) And for he es traist o mi leute Of all his god he trues me. 1728 Ramsay Fables xii. 12 His colour's green, If ane may true his ain twa een. |
| β Beowulf (Z.) 1166 ᵹehwylc hiora his ferhþe treowde, þæt he hæfde mod micel. c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxvii. §2 Yrnað ealle endemes ða ðe hiora ærninge trewað. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2318 Ic eow treowiᵹe ᵹif ᵹe þæt tacen ᵹegað. c 1175 12th c. Hom. 136 Ȝyf he þa bote deþ..& on Gode trywiȝe. 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 326 He that will trew His fa, It sall him sum tyme rew. |
| γ c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1092 Loth hem warnede,..Oc he ne troweden him. c 1275 Lay. 3413 Wan hii þe troueþ alre best. 13.. Cursor M. 5212 (Gött.) Þis es þe soth, trou [Cott. tru] ȝe me. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) xx. 221 And all be it that sum men wil not trow me, but holden it for fable. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxxii. 40 The silly thing trowd him, allace! The lame gaif creddence to the tod. c 1600 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 842 Suld not I trow my ain twa een? a 1829 Parcy Reed xviii. in Child Ballads vii. (1890) 26/2 The three false Halls of Girsonsfield, They'll never be trusted or trowed again. |
| δ 13.. Cursor M. 5151 (Cott.) If þat þou noght traues me,..come þi-self and se. c 1460 Towneley Myst. iii. 45 To those that wille hym trawe. |
† b. refl. To trust oneself
to a person.
Obs. rare.
| α c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John ii. 24 Se hælend ne lefde vel ne truᵹude hine seolfne him vel ðæm, foreðon he uiste alle. |
| γ 1388 Wyclif ibid., But Jhesus trowide not hym silf to hem, for he knewe alle men. |
† 2. intr. with
prep. To believe
in or
on; to have confidence
in; to trust
to.
Obs. or
rare arch.| α c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives xxv. 446 Ða burhware..truwodon to þam wealle. c 1300 Cursor M. 19883 (Edin.) Truis tu in god? |
| β c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) cxvii[i]. 8 God ys on Dryhten ᵹeorne to þenceanne, þonne on mannan wese mod to treowianne. |
| γ c 1205 Lay. 2351 He nom his enne hired mon Þe he wel trowede on. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 2855 Trowe til vs & oure consayl! 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 829 Ȝif alle þe lorus..Ben trewe to be trowen on & trysty to leue. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 490 Gyff that ȝe will trow to me. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1707 (Lucrece) It is no nede To trowyn on the word but on the dede. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. vi. 52 A trew discret man..to whom he may trowe to ordeyne þe besynesse of his godys. c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xviii. (Rolls) 102 Thei wolen not trowe to his teching. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xx. 434 Bot trow in god, that you has wroght. c 1470 Henry Wallace ii. 235 In Inglismen, allace, quhi suld we trow? 1522 World & Child C vij, The xij. artycles of the fayth That mankynde must on trowe. 1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 14 We suld trow in the sonne of God. 1870 Morris Earthly Par. III. iv. 369 Vague tales, wherein I was well fain to trow. |
| δ 13.. Cursor M. 13671 (Cott.) Traus [Fairf. trawes] þou in godd sun or nai? |
† b. trans. To believe in (a doctrine, etc.).
Obs.| 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 841 Hit semeþ..Þat ȝe no giuen of no gome no none godus trowe. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 422 Oon article of bileue..is to trowe hooly chirche. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xv. 66 Þe Sarzenes trowes þe incarnacioun. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. Prol. 81 We trow a God, regnand in personis thre. |
3. trans. To believe (a statement, etc.); to give credence to, accept as true or trustworthy.
| α a 1300 Cursor M. 14708 (Cott.) Qua wil noght tru [Gött. trou, Fairf. traw, Trin. trowe] þat i tell. |
| β c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2037 Pvtifar trewið hise wiwes tale. |
| γ c 1200 Ormin Ded. 134, I wollde bliþeliȝ þatt all Ennglisshe lede..shollde itt trowwenn. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) i. iii. (1859) 4 Such thynges wold I nought haue trowyd, yf I had nought seen it my self. 1450–80 tr. Secreta Secret. xvi. 14 Trowe not lightly alle that that men wille telle the. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) II. 272 We may nocht trow ane wourd he sayis. 1605 Shakes. Lear i. iv. 135 Speake lesse then thou knowest,..Learne more then thou trowest. 1816 Scott Antiq. xxi, I hae garr'd him trow mony a queer tale. a 1818 Macneill Poems (1844) 102 She trou'd ilka word that the fause loon did say. 1876 Morris Sigurd ii. 79 Men trowed his every word. |
| δ 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 662 Saré laȝez, Not trawande þe tale. |
† b. with
obj. and
compl. To believe or suppose (a thing or person) to be (so and so); also with
compl. inf. (
to be.., or
to do something).
Obs.| γ a 1275 Prov. ælfred 164 in O.E. Misc. 113 For wanne he is lif alre beste trowen, Þenne sal he letin lif his oȝene. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. xxix. 63 Yf þe nedys of a woman, drawe to þe to here þat þow trowys trewe, and þat þou demys good. c 1460 Play Sacram. 559, I trowe best we mak a crye. 1581 A. Hall Iliad iv. 69 Thou Agamemnon trowes Vs dastards and faint hearted folke. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. viii. (S.T.S.) II. 59 The chanceller trowit al to be trew. |
| δ 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 282, I trawed my perle don out of dawez. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) II. 121 Of whom somme men trawe that cite to have taken name. |
† c. Phr.
to trow (in passive sense): to be believed or thought (so and so). Also
at trow (
at prep. 39), in
quot. a 1340, worthy of belief, credible.
| 13.. Cursor M. 27126 (Cott.) And es he for a fule to trou [Fairf. traw]. a 1340 Hampole psalter xcii. 7 Testimonia sua credibilia facta sunt nimis... Þi biddyngis ere mykil made at trow. 1596 Spenser F.Q. v. ii. 34 How much it doth over-flowe, Or faile thereof, so much is more then iust to trowe. |
4. with
obj. clause. To believe, think, be of opinion, suppose, imagine; sometimes, to believe confidently, feel sure, be assured.
† trow you what..(?) ‘what do you think..?’
| α c 1000 ælfric's Past. Ep. iii. in Thorpe Ags. Laws II. 364 Ic truwiᵹe þeah þæt sum wurðe abrird þurh God. a 1818 Macneill Poems (1844) 96, I pree'd it aft as ye may true! |
| γ c 1200 Ormin 6946 Þeȝȝ munndenn trowwenn þatt te child Josæpess sune wære. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. i. 133 Þis I trouwe beo treuþe! a 1400 Prymer (1891) 83 Trowest þou auȝt that a deed man schal lyue aȝen? 14.. Cov. Corp. Christi Pl. i. 883, I tro there wolbe a carefull syght. c 1470 Henry Wallace ii. 391, I trow thow be sum spy. 1526 Tindale Luke xvii. 9 Doeth he thanke that servaunt be cause he did that which was commaunded vnto hym? I trowe not. 1533 Bellenden Livy iii. v. (S.T.S.) 256 Þe hevynnis apperit birnand; The erde trymblit..; men trowis ane kow spak. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. ii. 279 Trow you what he call'd me? 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. v. 13 And henceforth by this daies ensample trow, That hasty wroth, and heedlesse hazardry, Doe breede repentaunce late, and lasting infamy. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. i. 184 As I troa Which I doe well; for I am sure [etc.]. 1637–50 Row Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.) 451, I used..to..cast up the whyte of my eyes, so that any bodie wold have trowed that I was blind. 1786 Burns A Dream ii, The poets..Wad gar you trow ye ne'er do wrang. 1818 Scott Rob Roy iv, I trow he's a dealer in cattle. 1872 Thirlwall Rem. (1878) III. 254 Can anything be more clearly proved..? I trow not. |
| δ c 1400 Destr. Troy 3351 Ne trawes not, tru lady, þat I take wolde Thy ladyship to losse. |
b. Parenthetically or at the end of a sentence (often merely expletive), as
I trow (in assertions)
= ‘I suppose’, ‘I ween’;
† also rarely in questions (where the sense is not clear).
| α 13.. Cursor M. 371 (Cott.) Þarfor scaples was it [I] tru [Fairf. traw]. |
| γ [1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. xi, Bot now, how trowe ȝe? suich a fantasye Fell me to mynd.] c 1491 Chast. Goddes Chyld. 35 Thyse wordes I trowe shall suffyse. 1549 Latimer Ploughers (Arb.) 20 Who trowe you is a faythefull seruante? 1577 J. Northbrooke Dicing (1843) 71 No man is so foolishe, I trowe, so to doe. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. i. iv. 140 Who's there, I troa? 1676 Marvell Gen. Councils Wks. (Grosart) IV. 138 Did not this Historian, trow you, deserve [etc.]? 1678 Bunyan Pilgr. i. 174 But I tro, you will put some difference between Little-faith and the Kings Champion. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) IV. xxxv. 224 What is become of Lord M. I trow, that he writes not to me? 1798 Coleridge Anc. Mar. vii. iii, Why, this is strange, I trow! 1852 H. Rogers Ecl. Faith (1853) 438 A sceptic is not to be startled by paradoxes, I trow. |
† c. Also simply
trow (
ellipt. for
I trow or
trow you).
Obs.| 1553 Respublica iv. ii. 998 Was not he drownde, trowe, last yeare? 1601 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. (Qo.) iv. i. I iv, Where are these villaines troe? 1620 Shelton Quix. ii. x. 57 And haue you euer seene her, trow? 1636 Heywood Challenge i. Wks. 1874 V. 14 How came you by them tro? honestly? 1741 Richardson Pamela I. 57 What could you have done to him, tro'? |
† 5. intr. or absol. To believe; to hold a belief; to have or exercise faith.
Obs.| α c 1300 Cursor M. 19530 (Edin.) Simon [Magus] lete als þoȝ he truwid, And baptizid him. |
| γ c 1200 Ormin 2820 & tu full ædiȝ wurrþenn arrt, Forr þatt tu mihhtesst trowwenn. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 7358 He asked þenne how þey trowd, & what þer Godes name hight. c 1440 York Myst. xxi. 162 What man þat trowis and baptised be. 1573 Tyrie Refut. in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.) 12 Befoir a thousand yeiris..wes thair peple of God that trowit as thai do. |
† 6. trans. To expect, hope. Usually with
inf.; less commonly with
obj. clause; rarely with
simple obj.| γ 1340–70 Alisaunder 919 Þei trowed no tresoun untruly too haue. c 1470 Henry Wallace ix. 1266 Fra Fyff was tynt, the war thai trowyt to speid. 1470–85 Malory Arthur x. xii. 432 Shewe me the Knyght, & I trowe I shalle bere hym doune. 1575 Durham Depos. (Surtees) 301 She..was sore sike.., so that none of hir frendes trowed hir life. c 1600 Montgomerie Sonn. xxviii. 11 Vhair sho [an ass] troude hir maister suld hir treit, They battound hir. |
† 7. To prove to be true; to vouch for; to verify; to ascertain.
Obs. rare.
| β a 901 Laws of Alfred c. 33 ᵹif he hine treowan [v.r. treowian] wille. |
| γ c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 258 Þe letter forth þei nam, to trowe þer sayng. Ibid. 339 Blissed be þou God,..Þi word is wele trod, I say it, bi William. 1603 Philotus iii, First try the treuth, then may ȝe trow, Gif I mynd to desaue. |
▪ VI. trow see
throw v.
1,
tree,
troll,
trough.