† cowann.1
Scottish. Obsolete. rare.
A fishing-boat.
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1722 R. Wodrow Hist. Sufferings Church of Scotl. II. 535 The Earl..resolved to man out..thirty large cowans or fisher-boats.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
cowann.2
/ˈkəʊən/ [Derivation unknown.]
1. Scottish. One who builds dry stone walls (i.e. without mortar); a dry-stone-diker; applied derogatorily to one who does the work of a mason, but has not been regularly apprenticed or bred to the trade.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > worker > workers according to type of work > manual or industrial worker > builder > [noun] > builder of walls > types of
ground-waller1477
diker1497
cowan1598
rough waller1614
sea-waller1790
stone-diker1901
1598 Stat. & Ord. Maister Maissounis in D. M. Lyon Hist. Lodge Edinb. (1873) 10 That na maister or follow of craft ressaue ony cowanis to wirk in his societie or companye, nor send nane of his servands to wirk wt cowanis, under the pane of twentie punds.
1794 J. Sinclair Statist. Acct. Scotl. X. 267 (Jam.) A boat carpenter, joiner, cowan (or builder of stone without mortar), gets 1s. at the minimum, and good maintenance.
1806 R. Forsyth Beauties Scotl. IV. 3 The men who are employed in building walls for inclosing fields are called..cowans, to distinguish them from the regular masons.
1873 W. Mackelvie Ann. United Presbyterian Church 511 He was by trade ‘a cowan’, that is an occupation combining the callings of a mason and house carpenter in one.
2. Hence, One uninitiated in the secrets of Freemasonry; one who is not a Mason.
ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > an association, society, or organization > secret society > [noun] > the Freemasons > member > one who is not a mason
cowan1707
1707 [Mother Kilwinning Lodge, Ayrshire, defines the Cowan as a Mason ‘without the word’].
c1742 in W. Hone Every-day Bk. II. 525 They..are to guard the Lodge, with a drawn Sword, from all Cowens and Eves-droppers.
1767 J. Anderson Constit. Fraternity Free & Accepted Masons (new ed.) iv. 96 The Working Masons..ever will have their own Wages..let Cowans do as they please.
1767 Coll. Masonic Songs xli. 69 The Cowan may strive, nay plot and contrive To find out our great mystery.
1881 Text Bk. Freemasonry 2. 55 Armed with a drawn sword, to keep off all Cowans and intruders to Masonry.
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3. slang. ‘A sneak, an inquisitive or prying person’ ( Slang Dict.).
4. attributive. Uninitiated, outside, ‘profane’.
Π
1855 J. Strang Glasgow & its Clubs (1856) 416 This tavern—shut off from the observation and the ken of the ‘cowan’ world.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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