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 Scour, verb. (old).—1. To run away: also to scour away (or off).—Grose.

2. (venery).—To copulate: see Greens and Ride.

1656. Fletcher, Martiall, II. 56. She is not wont To take, but give for scouring of her.

To scour the darbies (or cramp-rings), verb. phr. (Old Cant).—To go (or lie) in chains [Harman (1573), Head, B. E., Coles, Grose].

1608. Dekker, The Beggar's Curse [Grosart, Works], iii. 203. Then to the quier ken, to scoure the Cramp-ring.

1707. Shirley, Triumph of Wit, 'Rum-Works Faithless Maunder.' Thou the Cramp-rings ne'er did scowre.

1815. Scott, Guy Mannering, xxxviii. No wonder that you scour the cramp-ring and trine to the cheat sae often.

Scourer (or Scowrer), subs. (old).—1. ' Drunkards, beating the Watch, breaking Windows, clearing the Streets, &c. (B. E.: also Grose): whence (2) a night-*thief. Hence to scour the streets = to act riotously.

c. 1700. Gentleman Instructed, 491 [10 ed., 1732]. He spurr'd to London, and Here he struck up with sharpers, scourers, and Alsatians.

1712. Steele, Spectator, 324. Bullies and scowerers of a long standing.

1712. Gay, Trivia, iii. 325. Who has not heard the scowerers midnight fame? Who has not trembled at the Mo-*hock's name?

Scout, subs. (Oxford Univ.).—1. A college servant—a valet, waiter, messenger, &c., in one (Grose).

1750. The Student, i. 55. My scout, indeed, is a very learned fellow.

1822. Scott, F. of Nigil, xvi. No scout in Oxford, no gyp in Cambridge, ever matched him in speed and intelligence.

1841. Hewlett, Peter Priggins, College scout, &c. [Title].

1853. Bradley, Verdant Green, iii. Mr. Robert Filcher, the excellent, though occasionally erratic scout.

1884. Julian Sturgis in Longmans', v. 65. The old don went back to his chair as his scout came in with a note.

2. (old).—A watchman, or (modern) a spy, esq. a police spy. Hence scout-ken = a watch-*house (Poulter (1754), Grose, Vaux).

1800. Parker, Life's Painter, 116. There's no hornies, traps, scouts, nor beak-runners amongst them.

1821. Egan, Life in London, II. iii. Turning the corner of Old Bedlam, A scout laid me flat upon my face.

3. (old).—A watch (B. E., Grose).

1688. Shadwell, Squire of Alsatia, ii. Sirrah! here's a scout; what's a clock, what's a clock, Sirrah.

1821. Haggart, Life, 28. Sporting an elegant dress scout, drag, and chates.

4. (old).—A mean fellow; a scab (q.v).—B. E.

1749. Smollett, Rod. Random, xv. Though I be a poor cobbler's son, I am no scout.

Verb. (Sporting).—To shoot pigeons outside a gun-club enclosure.

To scout on the lay, verb. phr. (thieves').—To go in search of booty.

c. 1787. Kilmainham Minit [Ireland Sixty Years Ago, 88]. The scrag-boy may yet be outwitted, And I scout again on de lay.

Scowbank, subs. (nautical).—A term of contempt to a sailor (C. Russell).

Scrag (or Crag), subs. (old).—The neck; colquarron (q.v.): as verb. = (1) to hang; and (2) to throttle. Hence scragging