Forms: 1 toʓian, 3 toȝen, 4 towen, 4–6 tou(e, 4–8 towe, 6 toagh, toogh, tough, 6–7 togh, too; 6 taw, 6–7 tawe), 6– tow. [OE. toʓian to draw or pull by force, to drag, ME. toȝen, towen = OFris. toga to pull roughly, pull about, MLG. togen (early mod.Du. togen (Kilian)), OHG. zôgon to draw, tug, drag (MHG. zogen), ON. and Norw. toga to draw, pull:—OTeut. *togôjan, deriv. vb. from tog-, weak grade of ablaut-series teuh-, tauh-, tug- (tog-) to draw: see TEE v.1]
† 1. trans. To draw by force; to pull, drag.
c. 1000. Passio St. Margaret, in Assmann, Ags. Hom., 178. And þa godes wiðerwinnan þa fæmnan ʓenamon, ut of þære byriʓ unʓerædelice hi toʓoden.
c. 1275. Lay., 7536. Julius þat sweord heold; and Nemnius þane sceald and longe þus i toȝede.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3655. The marynerse … Towyne trvsselle one trete, trvssene vpe sailes.
1494. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 248. Item, for a rape … quhilk was brokyne wyth towen of the tymmyr … ij s. iiij d.
1581. Studley, Agamemnon, III. They tough their oars and with their toyle they helpe the wynd and weather.
fig. 1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 50. What tricking & toying, and al to tawe out mony, you may be sure.
† b. To convey, carry. Obs. rare.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 100. Jonas … Maches hym with þe maryneres, makes her paye, For to towe hym in-to Tarce, as tyd as þay myȝt.
a. 1375. Joseph Arim., 374. Þenne þei taken þis mon and towen him to þe temple.
c. To draw up or let down with a tow or rope. Sc.
In this sense perh. directly from TOW sb.2
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 27. With lang towis and Lathiris lattin doune thay ar towit vpe.
1755. Edom o’ Gordon, xxii., in Percy Reliques (1765), I. 104. O row me in a pair o’ sheits, And tow me owre the wa.
2. spec. To draw or drag (a vessel, persons in a boat, etc.) on the water by a rope.
To tow (a boat) under water, to swamp by towing.
[1290: ? implied in TOWAGE 1.]
1391. Earl Derby’s Exp. (Camden), 23. Pro touyng navem domini de la hauen apud Boston.
a. 1500. in Arnolde’s Chron. (1811), 133. After tyme she was weyed and toued to the hauyn at Caleis.
1553. in Hakluyt, Voy. (1904), V. 92. The boat (which we toed asterne from Jaffa).
1557. W. Towrson, ibid. (1589), 117. Her rudder was broken, so that the Hart was glad to towe her.
1562. J. Shute, trans. Cambini’s Turk. Wars, 34 b. They tawed the palandre after them.
1589. Warner, Alb. Eng., VI. xxix. (1612), 144. I will … toogh the Pinnesse of my thoughts to kenning of your eyes.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. i. 578. He that … toghes against the tide His laden barge.
1597. J. King, On Jonas (1618), 56. They … labored … to toagh their ships to land.
1620. R. Cocks, Diary (Hakl. Soc.), II. 113. I sent out 4 barkes to helpe to toe her.
1630. Drayton, Muses Elizium, II. 343. Swans vpon the Streame to tawe me, Stags vpon the Land to draw me.
1644. Z. Boyd, Gard. Zion, in Zion’s Flowers (1855), App. 7/1. In thy great Barge me togh against the tide.
1743. Bulkeley & Cummins, Voy. S. Seas, 143. We took from the Indians a Canoe, made of the Bark of Trees, but soon towed her under Water.
1769. De Foe’s Tour Gt. Brit. (ed. 7), I. 153. King’s Ferry, where a long Cable of about 140 Fathom,… fastened at each End across the Water, serves to get over the Boat by Hand…. The Ferry-keeper … is obliged to tow all Travellers over free.
1877. A. B. Edwards, Up Nile, vii. 174. Barges towed by government steam-tugs.
b. intr. To pull or tug as in trying to move.
1884. Law Times, 10 May, 26/2. A tug towed at her for an hour and a half before she was got off.
3. trans. To drag by or as by a line. (humorous.)
1663. Butler, Hud., I. II. 1125. The Knight himself did after ride Leading Crowdero by his side, And tow’d him, if he lagg’d behind.
1767. Lady Mary Coke, Jrnl., 29 July (1889), II. 68. Monsieur Wangenheim was towing up Lady Sarah, and complain’d it was hard work.
1803. Scott, Lett. to Ellis, 14 Oct., in Lockhart. A rosy lass … entered our cottage, towing in a monstrous sort of bulldog.
1883. W. H. Bishop, in Harper’s Mag., March, 503/1. A mounted Mexican towing a bull.
1884. Nonconf. & Indep., 12 June, 578/1. Mr. Cumberland, blindfolded, towed another dignified gentleman through the streets by a silken cord.
4. intr. or absol. To advance or proceed by towing or being towed.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., ii. 451. When toghing vp that streame … shee yet conceales her name.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, III. vi. 61. He would … cause … divers of his Countrymen helpe vs towe against winde or tyde.
1667. Lond. Gaz., No. 186/4. One of them endeavoured to tow after him.
1695. Blackmore, Pr. Arth., VI. 371. At last King Octa … Commanding all to follow, tows away.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton, v. (1840), 90. We towed up as far as … our boats would swim.
1813. Southey, Nelson, I. iii. 143. The French vessels were allowed to tow out of the port of Genoa.
1874. [see TOW sb.4 3 b].
Hence Towed, Towing ppl. adjs.
1898. Daily News, 4 Aug., 5/3. The river journey in *towed barges from Shellal to Wady Halfa.
1901. Westm. Gaz., 8 July, 9/3. One tug, and one towed raft, two self-propelled rafts.
1795. Act 35 Geo. III., c. 106 § 23. For the making … Way or Road for the *Towing Horses.
1842. Brande, Dict. Sc., etc., s.v. Tow, As the vessel towed affects the motions of the other, much attention is required on her part to second the intentions of the towing vessel.
transf. 1909. Westm. Gaz., 2 Feb., 4/1. To couple up a towing machine to a fully equipped [motor-] car by means of a strap.
