Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 4 sture, 4–5 store, 4–5, 9 stoure, 5 staure, stourre, 5–9 stowre, 6 stoowre, stowir, 6–9 stour, 8 stowr, 7– stower. [a. ON. staur-r, stake.]
1. A stake, hedge-stake; a pale; a pole, post. Stower-and-daub: = wattle and daub (see DAUB sb.1) † Stick and stower (stour): see STICK sb.1 3 c.
1371. in Fabric Rolls York Minister (Surtees), 355. Uni homini amputanti stoures … pro parietibus domorum … per diem, 4 d.
1374. in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. 238. Dormannes giystes et etiam stures cum pertinenciis pro mediis parietibus in dictis cameris sub et supra.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xix. (Christopher), 224. Þane in his hand he hynt his store.
1417–8. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 302. Pro staures emptis pro shepehekkys apud le Holme, 16 d.
c. 1420. Avow. Arth., vii. Butte sette my head opon a store, Butte giffe he flaey ȝo alle fawre.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 153. He gatt hym a stowre, & gnew vppon þe tone end & made it sharpe with his tethe, & þrustid hym selfe evyn thrugh þerwith.
1481–2. in Finchale Priory Charters, etc. (Surtees), p. ccclv. Et in stowrys et virgis emptis pro eodem, xvjd.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. viii. 149. Apon a speyr, Or heich sting or stour of the fyr tre.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, 45. A Stowre,… a hedge-stake.
1792. Statist. Acc. Scot., II. 16. Pock-net fishing … is performed by fixing stakes or stours (as they are called) in the sand.
1798. Sporting Mag., XII. 166. Cut from thence a certain number of stakes and stowers.
2. Each of the upright staves in the side of a wagon.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 35. Wee sende worde to the wright to come and see that the axle-trees and felfes of the waines bee sownde … and likewise to putte in stowers wheare any are wantinge.
1691. Ray, N. C. Words (ed. 2), 70.
3. A rung of a ladder.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, 45. Stowre, a round of a ladder.
4. A punt-pole.
1777. in C. W. Hatfield, Hist. Notices Doncaster (1866), I. 194. Five men, with long ‘stowers’ and boat hooks were placed at St. Mary’s.
1822. Bewick, Mem., ii. (1862), 18. We then set to work with a ‘boat-stower’ to push it [a piece of ice] off shore.
1889. Linc. Chron., 16 Nov. (E.D.D.). Deceased had hold of the stower, and pushed the boat off.
5. Naut. (See quot.)
1863. A. Young, Naut. Dict., 449. Wrain-staff, Wrung-staff, or ‘Dwang-staff,’ also called a Stower, or Twisting-staff, a sort of stout billet of tough wood tapered at the ends so as to go into the ring of the wrain-bolt for the purpose of setting-to the planks.
