PLOWEFERE. Companion in play. (A.-S.)

PLOWKKY. Covered with pimples.

For hyme that is smetyne with his awenne blode,
and spredis overe alle his lymmes, and waxes plowkky,
and brekes owte. MS. Lincoln Med. f. 294.

PLOW-LODE. "Caracuta, plow lode," Nominale MS. It seems to be the same as Plough-hard, q. v.

PLOWMELL. A small wooden hammer occasionally fixed to the plough, still used in the North; in the Midland counties in its stead is used a plough-hatchet.

PLOWRING. Weeping. Prompt. Parv.

PLOWSHO. A ploughshare. Kennett.

PLOY. A merry-meeting. North.

PLOYE. A plough. Nominale MS.

PLUCK. (1) Courage. Var. dial. "To pluck up one's heart," to be bold, to rejoice. Against the pluck, i.e. against the inclination.

(2) To pluck a crow or goose with any one, i.e. to quarrel with him.

(3) To pluck a rose, i.e. to go to the jakes, said of women. Middleton, iv. 222.

(4) A dry pluck, i.e. a severe stroke.

This same is kind cuckold's luck:
These fellowes have given me a drie pluck,
Now I have never a crosse to lesse me.

Marriage of Witt and Wisdome, 1579.

(5)
Our kynge and Robyn rode togyder,
Forsoth as I you say,
And they shote plucke the buffet,
As they went by the way. Robin Hood, i. 75.

(6) Same as (1)?

I had the luck
To see, and drink a little pluck.

Brome's Songs, 1661, p. 167.

(7) A student who fails in an university examination is said to be plucked.

PLUCKING. The worsted plucked from the machine while the wheel is turning. North.

PLUERE. Weeping. (A.-N.)

PLUF. A tube of tin through which boys blow peas. Linc. Also called a pluffer.

PLUFFE. A plough. Yorksh.

PLUFFY. Spongy; porous. Devon. It is sometimes explained, soft, plump.

PLUG. A dwarfish fellow. East.

PLUM. (1) Light; soft. West.

(2) Sensible; honest. North.

(3) Very; exceedingly. Kent.

(4) Straight; upright; perpendicular. Plum downe, Cotgrave in v. Escarpe.

(5) Plum round, quite round. "Make their attire to sit plum round," Harrison, p. 172. Plum fat, Florio, p. 33.

PLUMAKIN. The magnum-bonum plum.

PLUME. To pick or pluck the feathers of a hawk or other bird.

PLUMED-SWAN. A white colour. One of the terms of ancient alchemy.

PLUMMY. Soft; wet; mouldy. Devon.

PLUMP. (1) Dry; hard. Kent.

(2) A clump of trees. North.

(3) A crowd of people; a mass of anything. It is sometimes a verb, to collect together.

"Assemble theymselves in plumpes," More's Supplicacyon of Soulys, sig. F. ii.

Rydes into rowte his dede to revenge,
Presede into the plumpe and with a prynce metes.

Morte Arthure. MS. Lincoln, f. 76.

When kynge Richard perceved that the people by plumpes fled from hym to Duke Henry.

Hall's Union, 1548.

(4) A pump; a draw-well. Cornw.

(5) A hard blow. Var. dial.

(6) Directly; exactly. Var. dial. Forby has plumpendicular, perpendicular.

PLUM-PORRIDGE. Porridge with plums in it, a favourite dish at Christmas in some parts of the country. It is mentioned as part of Christmas fare in the Humourist, ed. 1724, p. 22, and by Addison.

PLUMP-PATE. A thick-headed fellow.

PLUMPY. To churn. Cornw.

PLUMPTEN. Plunged. Weber.

PLUM-TREE. The female pudendum. Have at the plum tree seems to have been either the burden of a song or a proverbial phrase. It occurs in Middleton, although Mr. Dyce does not seem to be acquainted with the meaning of the term itself, which may be gathered from Cotgrave, in v. Hoche-prunier, and the Marriage of Witt and Wisdome, p. 16.

PLUNGE. (1) A deep pool. Somerset.

(2) A strait or difficulty. Greene.

PLUNGY. Wet; rainy. (A.-N.)

PLUNKET. A coarse woollen cloth.

PLUNKY. Short; thick; heavy. East.

PLUNT. A walking-stick, generally one which has a large knob. Glouc.

PLURISY. Superabundance. Shak.

PLUSHES. The thin hoops which hold a besom together. West.

PLY. To bend; to consent, or comply. Still in use in Dorset, Barnes's Gl.

PLYER. A very common bawd.

PLYMOUTH-CLOAK. A cane, or stick. So called, says Ray, "because we use a staff in cuerpo, but not when we wear a cloak."

PO. A peacock. (A.-S.)

A pruest proud ase a po,
Setthe weddeth us bo.

Wright's Political Songs, p. 159.

POACHED. Land is said to be poached when it is trodden with holes by heavy cattle. Var. dial.

POACHING. Swampy. Devon.

POAD-MILK. The first milk given by cows after calving. Sussex.

POARE-BLIND. Dim-sighted. The word occurs in Hollyband's Dictionarie, 1593.

POAT. To kick. Devon.

POBS. Porridge. Craven.

POCHE. A pocket. (A.-N.)

Unto another she dyde as moche
For they love none but for theyr poche.

The Compleynte of them that ben to late Maryed.

POCHE. A dish in ancient cookery consisting principally of poached eggs. Pegge.

POCHERS. Potters?

POCHIN. A hedgehog. Somerset.

POCHIT. A pollard tree. Linc.