Obs. exc. dial. Also 5 colwe(n, 5–6 colowe, (9 dial. collar). [Late ME. colwen perh.:—OE. *colʓian, f. *coliʓ coaly, f. col COAL (cf. hálʓian, ME. halwen to HALLOW, f. háliʓ holy): see also COLLY v. and a. With mod. dial. collar, cf. foller = follow.] trans. To make black or dirty with coal-dust or soot; to blacken, smut, begrime. Hence Collowed (ME. kolled) ppl. a., Collowing vbl. sb.
c. 1310. K. Horn (Ritson), 1088. His kollede snoute.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 88. Colwyd [Pynson colowde], carbonatus. Ibid., Colwynge [P. colowynge], carbonizacio.
1530. Palsgr., 489/1. Colowe thy face, charbonne ton visage.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. (1641), 156/1. Now scarr’d, and collow’d … Cover’d with ashes.
1611. Cotgr., Poisler, to collow, smut, smeere, bleach, begryme with the blacke side, or soot of a skellet, &c.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Collar, to sully with soot or coal-dust.
1879. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., Collow, to blacken with soot…. People black themselves with coal, but collow themselves with soot.
1884. Chesh. Gloss., Collow, or Colly, to blacken.
1888. Sheffield Gloss, Collared, smeared with black dirt, soot.
