a. Now north. dial. Forms: α. 4 scoymus, 5 -es, -os, -ous; 4–5 squoymous, 6 squymouse; 4–5 skoymus, 4–6 -ous, 4 -os, 5 -es, 6 -ys, -ose, 9 skymous. β. 4–6 squeymous (5 sqwey-), 4 squaymus, 5–6 -ous, 5 squaymes, -os(e, scaymes, skeymous, -ows(e; 5 sweymows, north. dial. 8 swamas, 8–9 swamous, 9 -us, swaim-, swaymous. γ. 5 squemes, 6 -ous. [a. AF. escoymous, escomos, of obscure origin. Cf. ESQUAYMOUS a.
Forms without initial s also occur, as queymous (see QUEIMISH a.) and coymous (see sense 3 β).]
1. = SQUEAMISH a. 1 a.
13[?]. Coer de L., 3485. Was non off hem that eete lyste; Kyng Richard … sayde: Frendes, be nought squoymous.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VII. lxvii. (Bodl. MS.). Þey þat beþ y-bete with a wode hounde … dredeþ watere most … and beþ agrised þer of fulle sore and scoymos also.
1566. Drant, Horace, Sat., iv. G viij b. There must be brothe for squaymous folke, and spices all of pleasure.
1882. Lanc. Gloss., 243. Skymous, squeamish, fastidious in eating.
2. Distant, disdainful, fastidious.
c. 1325. Lai le Freine, 62. A proude dame and an envieous,… Squeymous and eke scorning; To ich woman sche hadde envie.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 21. Nif he nere scoymus & skyg & non scaþe louied, Hit were a meruayl.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 457/2. Skeymowse, or sweymows,… abhominativus.
1847. Halliwell, Squemous, saucy. Lanc.
1886. Rochdale Gloss., 80. Skymous, squeamish; over-nice.
b. north. dial. Modest, shy.
1483. Cath. Angl., 357/1. Squaymose, verecundus.
1703. Thoresby, Lett. to Ray, Swamous, modest.
1790. Mrs. Wheeler, Westmld. Dial. (1821), 43. Ise nae way swamas.
1828. Carr, Craven Gloss., II. 307. Poor Williams is a swamous, cowardly chap.
1847–. in dial. glossaries (Cumb., Yks.).
† 3. Having or feeling abhorrence, repugnance or detestation of something. Obs.
α. 13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 598. He is so skoymos of þat skaþe, he scarrez bylyue. Ibid., 1148. So is he scoymus of scaþe pat scylful is euer.
a. 1400. Prymer (1891), 102. Wickednesse y hadde in hatrede and y was skoymes þer of.
1495. Trevisa’s De P. R., VIII. xii. (W. de W.), 319. They that ben subgette to Saturnus … ben not skoymous of foule and stynkyng clothynge.
β. c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 151. He was somdel squaymous [Camb. coymous] Of fartyng, and of speche daungerous.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. xxiii. (Tollem. MS.). Not skeymous of foule and stynkynge cloþynge.
15[?]. Piers of Fullham, 70, in Hazl., E. P. P., II. 4. Be alway squaymous of suche sklaunders.
γ. c. 1410. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., vi. (Gibbs’ MS.). Þei were not squemes of þe stable … nor of heye nor of suche oþer abjecte sympolnes.
† 4. = SQUEAMISH a. 5. Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 461. Sche … was nouȝt squaymus to wasche seke menis feet.
c. 1400. Prymer, 7. Thou were not squoymous to take þe maidenes wombe to delyuere mankynde.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, 155. Atte sum tyme she wolde haue … be right scoymous to haue do the seruice.
1535. in Loftie, Mem. Savoy (1878), 10. Whether he be … lovying to the poore, and not skoymys or lothesome to visite theym.
c. 1550. Bale, K. Johan (E.E.D.S.), 184. Thou art not skoymose thy fantasy for to tell.
