Forms: α. 3 (?) þrahe, 4–5 þraue, þrawe, thrawe, 4–6 thrau(e, (4 traue), 4–5 (Sc. 6–) thraw. β. 3–4 þrowe, 4–7 throwe, (4 throghe), 6–8 throw. γ. 7– throe. [Throe is a late alteration (noted first in 1615) of the earlier throwe, throw (which survived as late as 1733). The origin and history of ME. þrowe (found c. 1200), and its northern form þraw(e, þraw, thrau (known c. 1300, and still in use in Sc.) is not quite clear.
The normal source of an Eng. ōw: Sc. aw, as in blow: blaw, crow: craw, snow: snaw, is an OE. áw; this would lead us to see in þrow(e: þraw(e, an early derivative from the verb þrowen: þrawen, OE. þráwan, THROW v.1, in its early sense ‘to twist, rack, torture’ (cf. THROW v.1 1, quots. c. 1000). Some suggest that the sb. represented OE. þrowu, ‘painful infliction, affliction, plague, pang, evil’ (Bosw.-Toller), which is perh. favored by the instance c. 1250 of þrahes rhyming with lahes ‘laws’ (if that belongs here). But þrawu would normally give in midland and southern Eng. not throwe but thrawe (cf. CLAW). On the other hand, a derivation (also suggested) from OE. þrówian, THROW v.2 ‘to suffer,’ which would suit Eng. throw, would not explain the northern thraw. If then the word was orig. the OE. þrawu, we should have to suppose that this by 1200 (under the influence of þrówian to suffer) became þrōwe, but remained in the north as þrawe, thraw, and eventually ran together with thraw, THROW sb.2, from thraw, THROW v.1
The identity of throe with ME. throwe, makes its derivation from OE. þrá, ME. THRO, THRA sb. impossible, The change of throw(e to throe was app. merely quasi-phonetic; cf. hoe, roe (of fish) for earlier howe, rowe, also bloe as a 16th-c. variant of blow sb., and on the other hand slow-worm for slo-worm, OE. slá-wyrm; throe would gain favor as making a distinction between this word and throw sb.2 in its ordinary English use. In Scotland, on the other hand, where thraw vb. has kindred senses, thraw remains unchanged as the form of this sb., as in deid-thraw = death-throe.]
1. A violent spasm or pang, such as convulses the body, limbs, or face. Also, a spasm of feeling; a paroxysm; agony of mind; anguish.
a. In general sense.
α. c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 36. Welthe to pride our hert draus, And wa geres us thol hard traues [MS. C. thrawes; rhyme draus].
a. 1500[?]. Chester Plays (E.E.T.S.), 438. Suffer I must many a hard Thraw.
1673. Wedderburn’s Vocab., 19 (Jam.). Tormen alvi, a thraw in the bellie.
1793. Burns, Blithe hae I been, ii. If she winna ease the thraws In my bosom swelling.
β. c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 206. Troylus … his sorwes þat he spared hadde He yaf an yssue large … And in his þrowes frenetyk and madde He curssed Ioue.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 273. And for thin ese … Thi love throghes forto lisse.
1549. J. Cheke, in Lett. Lit. Men (Camden), 8. How honorable is it to fli from honors throws.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, I. xxi. § 2. 27. The throws and gripings of the bellie.
1607. Shaks., Timon, V. i. 203. Their pangs of Loue, with other incident throwes That Natures fragile Vessell doth sustaine.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (Hotten’s repr.), 408. Frequent Throws and Pangs of Appetite, that nothing but the Tortures of Death can imitate.
γ. 1730–46. Thomson, Autumn, 1322. His heart distends With gentle throes.
1787. Burns, Lett. to Earl of Glencairn. I conjure your lordship, by the honest throe of gratitude.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, II. i. But ask thou not … If the loud laugh disguise convulsive throe.
1858. Daily News, 2 Nov., 5/5. We are labouring in the throes of a Piccolomin mania.
1860. C. Sangster, Hesperus, etc., 166. Tumultuous throes Of some vast grief.
1870. Disraeli, Lothair, lvi. In the very throes of its fell despair.
spec. b. The pain and struggle of childbirth; pl. labor-pangs.
α. c. 1250. Comp. Mariæ, in Napier, Hist. Rood-t., 78. Nou þu moostes, lauedi, lere Wmmone wo þat barnes bere, Þa bitter and ta bale þrahes [MS. þrehes; rhyme lahes (laws)].
13[?]. K. Alis., 606. Time is come the lady schal childe:… The thrawes [Bodl. MS. þrowen] hire afongon.
β. c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 181. Elch wimman … þan hie beð mid childe bistonden … nimeð hire stundmele so bittere þrowes. Ibid. Ðat child on his burde þoleð ec bittere þrowe.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 472/354. Hire token ful strongue þrowes.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 211. This hell [= hill] on his childinge lay, And whan the throwes on him come His noise … Was ferfull.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 493/1. Throwe, womannys pronge.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage, VIII. xiv. 685. All the throwes … of this hills monstrous trauells.
1690. C. Nesse, Hist. & Myst. O. & N. Test., I. 52. The throws in birth be so torturing as no kind of torments can parallel.
1733. Cheyne, Eng. Malady, II. x. § 3 (1734), 220. The Fœtus, by its Motion or Pressure, raises those Throws and Convulsions in the Mother.
γ. 1615. Chapman, Odyss., XIX. 565. Monne for my daughters yet vnended throes.
1621. Quarles, Esther, Div. Poems (1717), 131. By throes, God sends a joyful birth.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 780. My womb … Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes.
1715–20. Pope, Iliad, XVII. 6. Her new-fall’n young … Fruit of her throes.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., I. 241. In this shape, or in that, has fate entail’d The mother’s throes on all of woman born.
c. The agony of death; the death-struggle, death-throe (Sc. deid-thraw).
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 24317 (Cott.). Wit hard thraus [Ed. thrauis, F. þrawes, G. thraues] þat he throu, Þai sagh þat he to ded drou. Ibid., 24726 (Edin.). Euir apon his þraues [Gött. passiun] þink. Ibid., 16762 + 64 (Cott.). For þe grete thraws of ded.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 358. Hur husband lay in dead thrawis.
1549. Compl. Scotl., xiv. 121. Quhen darius vas in the agonya and deitht thrau.
a. 1823. G. Beattie, John o’ Arnha’ (1826), 39. Some glowr’d an’ thratch’d, in deadly thraws.
β. 13[?]. K. Alis., 720 (Bodl. MS.). In his deþ þrowe he was swowe.
c. 1330. Assump. Virg. 533. Ȝif any … wille on his last þrowe Schryue him.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. x. 41. O man! have mind of that last bitter throw.
1629. Sir W. Mure, True Crucifixe, 1581. Death’s tormenting throws.
γ. 1814. Scott, Wav., lxix. The throes of a mortal and painful disorder.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Tale of Tyne, vi. 113. The agony of … outrage transcends the throes of dissolution.
2. transf. and fig. A violent convulsion or struggle preceding or accompanying the ‘bringing forth’ of something.
1698. Crowne, Caligula, III. 18. For that poor chaff how will he thrash his brains, He is in throws before, but then he’s eas’d.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), II. ix. 373. When a nation is in the throes of revolution, wild spirits are abroad in the storm.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. viii. 59. A … scene, suggesting throes of spasmodic energy..
1878. Miss J. J. Young, Ceram. Art (1879), 125. The author is represented seated at a table … in the very throes of composition.
3. attrib. and Comb.
1835. Sterling, in Carlyle, Life, II. ii. (1872), 101. The restless immaturity of our self-consciousness, and the promise of its long throe-pangs.
1839. Bailey, Festus, xxxiv. (1852), 552. Awhile in dead throe-like suspense they stood.
1883. Century Mag., Oct., 819/1. The wild, throe-built, water-quarried rock gorges.
