Forms: 5–6 ȝong-, 6 ȝoung frow, yong frow, 7 yough Fro, 9 yuffro(u)w, yungfrau, euvrou, uvrou, -ow: see also EUPHROE. [ad. early mod. Du. jongvrouw(e (cf. FROW sb.), now juffrouw young lady, miss, and (in shortened form) juffer young lady, beam in shipbuilding, rammer (see JUFFER, UFER). See also EUPHROE.]
1. A young lady, girl.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 45. To see the fashion of these country yong frowes.
1673. Dryden, Amboyna, IV. i. And it may be then in stead of kissing, desir’d yough Fro to hold his head.
1810. W. Irving, Lett. to Mrs. Hoffman, 26 Feb. I have … formed acquaintance with some of the good people, and several of the little Y[u]ffrouws.
2. Naut. a. ? A dead-eye. Obs. b. (See quots. 1810, 1867.)
1494. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 254. Ȝong frowis and collaris, seme and rule to the bote. Ibid. (1505), III. 86. Blokkis and brassin schiffis, paralingis, and ȝong frowes.
1810. J. Dessiou, Moore’s Pract. Navigator, 291. Uvrou, the piece of wood by which the legs of the crow-foot are extended.
1815–. [see EUPHROE].
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Crow-foot, a number of small lines spreading out from an uvrow or long block, used to spread awnings by.
