Chiefly Sc. Forms: 5 Sc. ferow, 6–8 Sc. furrow, 7– farrow. [Of unknown derivation; farrow cow corresponds formally to Flemish verwekoe, varwekoe (De Bo), in 16th c. ‘verrekoe, taura’ (Kilian), which means a cow that has ceased to be capable of producing offspring.]
Of a cow: That is not with calf (see quots.). Also in To be, go or run farrow. Farrow-farrow, barren in two successive seasons.
1494. Act. Dom. Conc., 363. Twa ferow ky.
15[?]. Depredations in Argyll, 51 (Jam.). Sex furrow cows.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 173/2. A Farrow Cow, is a Cow that gives Milk in the second year after her Calving; having no Calf that year.
1725. Ramsay, Gent. Sheph., III. iii.
| Rog. My Faulds contain twice fifteen Forrow Nowt, | |
| As mony Newcal in my Byers rowt. |
1856. T. Aird, Poet. Wks., 193, A Winter Day.
| Forth lilting comes | |
| The farm-lass, driving from the byre her cows | |
| To water at the frosty reeking well, | |
| Farrow, ill-haired, and lean, but frisking mad, | |
| Tipsy with freedom. |
1879. Mem. Ochiltree, 52. If the same animal had no calf the following year, she was farrow-farrow.
fig. 1674. N. Fairfax, A Treatise of the Bulk and Selvedge of the World, 19. Whatever is big with or positive of eternity, cannot go farrow, or be privative of real entity.
