sowre

English

Adjective

sowre

1. Obsolete spelling of sour.
   • 1566, William Adlington, The Golden Asse‎^[1]:

     When I was a bed I began to call to minde all the sorrowes and griefes that I was in the day before, until such time as my love Fotis, having brought her mistresse to sleepe, came into the chamber, not as shee was wont to do, for she seemed nothing pleasant neither in countenance nor talke, but with sowre face and frowning looke, gan speak in this sort, Verily I confesse that I have been the occasion of all thy trouble this day, and therewith shee pulled out a whippe from under her apron, and delivered it unto mee saying, Revenge thyself upon mee mischievous harlot, or rather slay me.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, Spenser's The Faerie Queene, Book I‎^[2], 1921 ed. edition:

     My rimes I know unsavory and sowre, To taste the streames, that, like a golden showre, Flow from thy fruitfull head, of thy Loves praise; Fitter perhaps to thunder martiall stowre, When so thee list thy loftie Muse to raise: Yet, till that thou thy poeme wilt make knowne, Let thy faire Cinthias praises be thus rudely showne.

   • 1676, Izaak Walton, The Compleat Angler‎^[3]:

     Sir, There are many men that are by others taken to be serious grave men, which we contemn and pitie; men of sowre complexions; mony-getting-men, that spend all their time first in getting, and next in anxious care to keep it: men that are condemn'd to be rich, and alwayes discontented, or busie.

   • 1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC:

     […] for no Beast will eat sowre grass […]

Anagrams

• Rowse, WOREs, owers, owres, resow, rowse, serow, sower, swore, worse

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Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French sor.

Adjective

sowre

1. Alternative form of sor (“sorrel”)

Etymology 2

From Old English sūr.

Adjective

sowre

1. Alternative form of sour