jow meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

jow

noun

Historical A premetric unit of length in India, equal to approximately a quarter of an inch.

verb

UK /d͡ʒəʊ/ · US /d͡ʒaʊ/

Etymology Alteration of jowl (“to knock, strike, ring a bell”), with loss of final l.

UK, Dialectal To knock, strike, bump.

Scotland To ring or toll (a bell).

verb

India, Imperative, Obsolete Go away; begone.

This is always the way in India: the servant assures you that what you require is not procurable […] you politely reply, "Jow" (go away), and in nine cases out of ten he will return with the desired article; […]1861, M. A. Wallace-Dunlop, Rosalind Harriet Maria Wallace-Dunlop Inverarity, The Timely Retreat from India, Before the Mutinies (page 163)
He angrily tells the crowd to jow (go away), and the nearest of them sheer off a few paces, […]1927, Alfred Claude Brown, The Ordinary Man's India, page 88:

verb

Etymology Apparently from earlier *jowl, from Middle English chaulen, chavelen (“to jabber”). Compare jawl (“to talk loudly”).

UK, Dialectal To talk loudly.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.