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cowan - What does it mean?

Definition of 'cowan'

English

Etymology 1

First attested in 1598.

Alternative forms

* (l)

Noun

  • A worker in unmortared stone; a stonemason who has not served an apprenticeship.
  • (freemasonry) A person who attempts to pass himself off as a Freemason without having experienced the rituals or going through the degrees.
  • (slang) A (l); an (l) or person.
  • (in attributive use) (l), (l), “(l)”

    • References

    * “ Cowan?²]” listed on page 1,111 of volume II (C) of '' [first edition, 1893]
    ??Cowan'''?² ().?Also 7 '''kowan''', 8 '''cowen'''.?[Derivation unknown.]?[¶]?'''1.'''?''Sc.''?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.?[¶]?'''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''' ''Statist. Acc. Scot.'' X. 267 (Jam.) A boat carpenter, joiner, cowan (or builder of stone without mortar), gets 1''s.'' at the minimum, and good maintenance.?'''1806''' 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''' Mackelvie ''Ann. U. P. 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.?[¶]?'''1707''' [Mother Kilwinning Lodge, Ayrshire, defines the Cowan as a Mason ‘without the word’].?''c''?'''1742''' in Hone ''Every-day Bk.'' II. 525 They..are to guard the Lodge, with a drawn Sword, from all Cowens and Eves-droppers.?'''1767''' ''Collect. 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.?[¶]?'''3.'''?''slang.''?‘A sneak, an inquisitive or prying person’ (''Slang Dict.'').?[¶]?'''4.'''?''attrib.''?Uninitiated, outside, ‘profane’.?[¶?'''1855 Strang ''Glasgow     (1856) 416 This tavern?—?shut off from the observation and the ken of the ‘cowan’ world. * “ cowan²]” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [second edition, 1989 (rel-bottom)

    Etymology 2

    First attested in 1722; perhaps from the (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (Scottish|obsolete|rare) A (l)-(l).

    • References

    * “ †?Cowan?¹]” listed on page 1,111 of volume II (C) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles'' [first edition, 1893]
    ??†?Cowan'''?¹'''.'''?''Sc. Obs. rare''?—?¹.?[??a. Gaelic ''cobhan'' coffer, box, ark.]?A fishing-boat.?[¶?'''1722 Wodrow ''Hist. Church Sc.     II. 535 The Earl..resolved to man out..thirty large cowans or fisher-boats. * “ †cowan¹]” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [second edition, 1989 ----

    Similar to 'cowan'

    coin, cyan, chain, chin, chan, conn, coon, cion, chaun, cien, cohen, chon, choon, cyun, cyen, cyon, coown, coun, cowen, coyn, coion