Also 4 stouuage, stouwage, 6–7 stoage, 8 stowidge. [f. STOW v.1 + -AGE. First in Anglo-Latin form stowagium. Cf. Du. stouwage, stuwage.]
1. The action or operation of stowing cargo on board ship, or goods in a warehouse, etc.
[1352. Exch. Acc. Q. R. 20 no. 27 (Publ. Rec. Office). De xd. pro portagio xxvj. dicr’ pellium boum … de navi usque in domum Southantonie, et de xij d. pro stouuag’ eorundem [sic] ibidem in eadem domo.]
1390. Earl Derby’s Exped. (Camden), 22. Et per manus eiusdem pro strycage et stouwage xij doliorum vini et floure, x s. vj d.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. (1811), 391. By meanes of the sayd marchauntes straungers, it was at this day brought to passe that they myght hyre to them houses for to dwell in, and for stowage of theyr wares.
1586. Acts Privy Council (1897), XIV. 217. Certaine cellers and stoarehouses built of late on the cliftes and sea coast for the stoage of pilchardes.
1594. J. Davys, Seaman’s Secr., II. (1607), 16. Being an instrument portable, of easie stowage.
1626. Capt. Smith, Accid. Yng. Seamen, 5. The quarter Maisters hath the charge of the hold for stowage, rommageing, and trimming the shippe.
1733. W. Ellis, Chiltern & Vale Farm., 252. Even here they can’t enjoy a Cellar for the Stowage of their Liquors.
1784. J. King, Cook’s 3rd Voy., VI. v. III. 294. On Wednesday we had finished the stowage of the holds.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, iii. The mate … has the charge of the stowage, safekeeping, and delivery of the cargo.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., II. i. From his early childhood up, his mind had been a place of mechanical stowage.
1883. Manch. Exam., 6 Nov., 5/4. Board of Trade officers … will supervise the loading, stowage and general equipment of the vessels.
1891. Law Rep., Weekly Notes, 61/1. The goods were stolen during the stowage after they were on board by one of the stevedores’ men.
1907. ‘Q.’ (Quiller-Couch), Poison Isl. xi. The coachman … anon breaking off to direct the stowage of a parcel.
transf. (jocular.) 1833. M. Scott, Tom Cringle, xvi. A large dish of scalding … hasty pudding … with which Wagtail was in the habit of commencing his stowage at breakfast.
b. Manner in which the contents of a ship are stowed.
1769. Falconer, Dict. Marine (1780), Stowage, the general disposition of the several materials contained in a ship’s hold, with regard to their figure, magnitude, or solidity.
1866. Arnould, Marine Insur., III. i. (ed. 3), II. 667. The casks however had not shifted their places, in other words, ‘the stowage was not damaged.’
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., s.v. Stowage, Owners and masters are legally liable to the losses by bad stowage or deficient dunnage.
† 2. A duty levied on goods stowed. Obs.
[1434. in H. Swinden, Gt. Yarmouth (1772), 56, note. Seisiti fuerunt de … alia custuma vocata stowagio, videlicet, duobus denariis de quolibet pondere dolii cujuscunque mercandise … in portu predicto posite seu stowate capiendis.]
3. The condition or process of being stowed or placed in a receptacle.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. vi. 192. ’Tis Plate of rare deuice, and Iewels Of rich and exquisite forme … And I am something curious, being strange To haue them in safe stowage.
1856. Kane, Arctic Expl., I. xv. 181. By one in the morning we had our discarded excess of pemmican and the boat once more in stowage.
b. The condition of being closely filled or packed.
1825. Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 438. Clouds of tobacco-smoke … declare the full stowage of each apartment.
4. Room or accommodation for stowing anything; internal capacity of a warehouse or a receptacle of any kind.
1547. Acts Privy Council (1890), II. 466. Though he had not convenient stowage for the same [vytayls].
1579. Fenton, Guicciard., II. (1599), 514. They approched it vnder the benefite of a caske or vessell of wood … within which was Stowage for 300 men.
1612. T. Bodley, Will, in W. D. Macray, Ann. Bodl. Libr. (1890), 406. There must of necessitie be very great want of conueyance & stowage for Bookes.
1622. Fletcher, Beggar’s Bush, IV. i. When by your leave … We could have stoage for a little cloth, Or a few wines.
1634. W. Wood, New Eng. Prosp. (1865), 58. Yet being a heavy commodity, and taking but a little stoage, it is cheaper to carry such commodities out of England.
1655. Fuller, Hist. Camb., 166. His industrious minde had vast stoāge for words.
1703. trans. Lahontan’s Voy. N. Amer., I. 26. But those [Canows] of a larger size will easily afford stowage for fourteen Persons.
1748. Anson’s Voy., II. x. 247. The small stowage necessary for the silver.
1817–8. Cobbett, Resid. U.S. (1822), 164. He must lay in his store [of potatoes] at the beginning of winter…. And, where is he to find stowage? He has no caves.
1869. Daily News, 13 July, 5/2. The ordinary amount of 700 tons, which is the stowage of both the Northumberland and Agincourt.
1889. Welch, Text Bk. Naval Archit., ii. 28. This is more important in ships of moderate dimensions having relatively large stowage in the upper bunkers.
b. jocularly. Capacity for food.
1651. Biggs, New Disp., ¶ 282. To wish that he had not … crammed the stowage of his body so much.
a. 1716. South, Serm. (1744), VIII. 8. What were all the fasts … of the late Reformers, but the forbearing of dinners? that is, the enlarging the stowage, and the redoubling the appetite, for a larger supper?
1819. Scott, Leg. Montrose, vi. ‘I have still some stowage left for beef and bannocks,’ said the Captain.
5. A place in which something is stowed.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 409. There must be a supply of soules for men to be borne, either by new creating of new soules, or by assuming them already created, as out of a Promptuary, Repository, or some Stowage of soules.
1641. Milton, Animadv., 53. They may as well sue for Nunneries, that they may have some convenient stowage for their wither’d daughters.
1710. C. Shadwell, Fair Quaker Deal, v. 60. Faith I’ll treat my Jenny [pulls out a large rich Purse] with this Purse of Gold; the weighty Stowage of a fair hundred Guineas.
1805. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., III. 314. Malta and Gibralter would be convenient stowages for such recruits.
1848. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., IX. II. 571. A room under the stowage or cooling-room. Ibid., 572. The floor of the stowage.
b. A receptacle for stowing cargo.
1815. Falconer’s Dict. Marine (ed. Burney), s.v. Stranded, A cargo packed in Mr. Dickenson’s patent iron stowages.
6. That with which a vessel is or is to be stowed.
1622. Fletcher, Sea-Voy., I. i. Let the Ship sinck or swimme; we ha nere better luck, When we ha such stoage as these trinkets with us, These sweet sin-breeders.
1778. Foote, Trip Calais, I. Wks. 1799, II. 329. I must take t’ other trip to the port, for your stowage.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Old Margate Hoy. Not many rich, not many wise, or learned, composed at that time the common stowage of a Margate packet.
7. Mining. (See quot.)
1886. J. Barrowman, Sc. Mining Terms, 65. Stowage, or stowing, in longwall, the space from which the mineral has been extracted and which has been filled with debris.
8. attrib., as stowage capacity, house, space; stowage goods (see quot.); stowage room, (a) space for stowing goods; (b) a room in which hops are placed after drying.
1871. Routledge’s Ev. Boy’s Ann., April, 248. Her *stowage capacity was not over 100 tons.
1863. A. Young, Naut. Dict., 395. *Stowage goods, those which usually pay freight according to their bulk.
1547. Acts Privy Council (1890), II. 466. The furnisshing and coveryng of the *stowage houses.
1763. W. Roberts, Nat. Hist. Florida, 64. To make *stowage-room for the corn of the new year.
1805. R. W. Dickson, Pract. Agric., II. 754. An adjoining room constructed for the purpose, which is called the stowage room.
1844. Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xvi. The more ample stowage-room he had for dollars.
1890. W. J. Gordon, Foundry, 74. It is almost impossible to realize the *stowage space of one of these huge liners.
