Also 7 kowan, 8 cowen. [Derivation unknown.]
1. Sc. One who builds dry stone walls (i.e., without mortar); a dry-stone-diker; applied derogatorily to one who does the work of a mason, but has not been regularly apprenticed or bred to the trade.
1598. Stat. & Ord. Maister Maissounis, in D. M. Lyon, Hist. Lodge Edinb. (1873), 10. That na maister or follow of craft ressaue ony cowanis to wirk in his societie or companye, nor send nane of his servands to wirk wt cowanis, under the pane of twentie punds.
1794. Statist. Acc. Scot., X. 267 (Jam.). A boat carpenter, joiner, cowan (or builder of stone without mortar), gets 1s. at the minimum, and good maintenance.
1806. Forsyth, Beauties Scotl., IV. 3. The men who are employed in building walls for inclosing fields are called … cowans, to distinguish them from the regular masons.
1873. Mackelvie, Ann. U. P. Church, 511. He was by trade ‘a cowan,’ that is an occupation combining the callings of a mason and house carpenter in one.
2. Hence, One uninitiated in the secrets of Freemasonry; one who is not a Mason.
1707. [Mother Kilwinning Lodge, Ayrshire, defines the Cowan as a Mason ‘without the word’].
c. 1742. in Hone, Every-day Bk., II. 525. They … are to guard the Lodge, with a drawn Sword, from all Cowens and Eves-droppers.
1767. J. Anderson, Constit. Free Masons, iv. 96. The Working Masons … ever will have their own Wages … let Cowans do as they please.
1767. Collect. Masonic Songs, xli. 69. The Cowan may strive, nay plot and contrive To find out our great mystery.
1881. Text Bk. Freemasonry, 2. 55. Armed with a drawn sword, to keep off all Cowans and intruders to Masonry.
3. slang. ‘A sneak, an inquisitive or prying person’ (Slang Dict.).
4. attrib. Uninitiated, outside, ‘profane.’
1855. Strang, Glasgow (1856), 416. This tavern—shut off from the observation and the ken of the ‘cowan’ world.
