Obs. Forms: 4 boon-, 4–5 bon-, 5 bane-, baynschawe, boneshawe, 7 boneshaw, 8 boneshave. [f. BONE sb. 1; but the meaning of shaw does not appear: the Exmoor -shave appears to be due to popular etymology.]
1. Sciatica or hip-gout.
c. 1350. J. Arderne, Chirurg., in Promp. Parv., 44, note. Ad guttam in osse que dicitur bonschawe, multum valet oleum de vitellis ovorum, si inde ungatur.
c. 1400. Sloan MS. 100. f. 7, in Promp. Parv., 44, note. A good medicyn for boonschawe.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 44. Bonschawe, sekenesse … tessedo, sciasis.
1483. Cath. Angl., 20/1. Þe Bane schawe, ossedo.
1579. Langham, Gard. Health (1633), 93. For the boneshaw and gout, seethe the flowers with wine.
a. 1600. Montgomerie, in Watson, Coll. Sc. Poems, III. 13. With Bock-blood and Benshaw.
a. 1778. Chorus, in Exmoor Scolding, note. As the water runs by the stave Good for bone-shave.
2. = Bone-spavin: see BONE sb. 17. (? An error.)
1790. Grose, Prov. E. Dict., Boneshave, a bony or horny excrescence or tumor growing out of horses heels.
