taw

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

taw, n. 

 Tow.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

taw, v. t. [Cf. Tew to tow, Tow, v. t.].

 To push; to tug; to tow.  Drayton.  [1913 Webster]

taw, v. t. [OE. tawen, tewen, AS. tāwian to prepare; cf. D. touwen, Goth. tēwa order, taujan to do, and E. tool. √64. Cf. 1st Tew, Tow the coarse part of flax.].

•  To prepare or dress, as hemp, by beating; to tew; hence, to beat; to scourge.  Beau. & Fl.  [1913 Webster]
•  To dress and prepare, as the skins of sheep, lambs, goats, and kids, for gloves, and the like, by imbuing them with alum, salt, and other agents, for softening and bleaching them.  [1913 Webster]

taw, n. [Cf. AS. tāw instrument.].

•  A large marble to be played with; also, a game at marbles.  [1913 Webster]
•  A line or mark from which the players begin a game of marbles.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

taw, v.tr. make (hide) into leather without the use of tannin, esp. by soaking in a solution of alum and salt.

Derivative

tawer n.

taw, n.
1 a large marble.
2 a game of marbles.
3 a line from which players throw marbles.

Etymology

18th c.: orig. unkn.