Forms: 3 cuvel-, 4 pl. coufles, 5 couel(le, kouuele, kowuele, cowuele, colle, 5–7 cowle, 7 coule, coole, kowle, 6– coul, 7– cowl, (cowel). [ME. *cuvel(e (13th c. in cuvel-staff), covelle, app. a. OF. cuvele:—L. cūpella small vat or cask, dim. of cūpa, F. cuve tub, cask, vat. But cf. also Ger. kübel (glossed in MHG. cupa, tina), OHG. *chubil (cf. miluh-chubili, milk-pail), with senses parallel to those of cowl, considered by Grimm and Kluge to be a native word. The uncertainty as to the origin of our word is increased by the ambiguity of the symbol ou, ow, in ME.]

1

  1.  A tub or similar large vessel for water, etc.; esp. applied to one with two ears which could be borne by two men on a cowl-staff. arch. or dial.

2

c. 1250.  [in COWL-STAFF].

3

1297.  R. Glouc. (1724), 265. In lepes and in coufles [v.rr. c. 1400 kouueles, 15th c. cowles, couelle] so muche vyss [= fish] hii solde hym brynge, Þat ech man wondry ssal of so gret cacchynge.

4

c. 1430.  Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, III. lx. (1869), 171. A kowuele ther was bi nethe, that resceyuede alle the dropes. Ibid., lxii. 173. Cowuele.

5

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 97. Cowle, vesselle, tina.

6

a. 1450.  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 616. Tina, a covelle [see covel-tre in 2].

7

c. 1450–75.  Pict. Vocab., ibid. 808. Hec cupa, a colle; hec tina idem est.

8

1502.  Priv. Purse Exp. Eliz. of York (1830), 4. A cowle for Water xij d.

9

1587.  Mascall, Govt. Cattle (1627), 71. Prouide that they may haue water brought them in cowles.

10

c. 1642.  Twyne, in Wood, Life (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), I. 61–2. It [plate] was carried awaye in the night time in a great cowle betwixt 2 men.

11

1647.  Husbandman’s Plea agst. Tithes, 38. The Parson or Vicar is amongst the Mayds, with a Pale or Coul every tenth day for tithe milk.

12

1825.  Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 12. The Cowl is a water-vessel borne by two persons on the cowl-staff.

13

1883.  Fisheries Exhib. Catal. (ed. 4), 127. Cowel for carrying fish.

14

1888.  Elworthy, W. Somerset Word-bk., Cowl, a tub or barrel swung on a pole, or more commonly mounted as a wheel-barrow, used for carrying pigs’-wash or liquid manure.

15

  † b.  Applied to a liquid measure. Obs. [Cf. Ger. kübel as a measure, Grimm s.v. 2 b.]

16

1467.  Ord. Worc., in Eng. Gilds, 371. That the comyns haue the Cowle to mete ale wt. Ibid., 382. That comyns have vppe ayen, as hit hath ben, the Cowle to mete ale wt.

17

  † c.  A cup. Obs. [Cf. med.L. cupella ‘vasis potorii species,’ Du Cange.]

18

[c. 1450.  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 577/10. Cupa, a cupe or a Cowle.]

19

1476.  Will of Thurston (Somerset Ho.). A cup called a cowle.

20

  2.  Comb. † cowl-tree, coveltre = COWL-STAFF.

21

c. 1450.  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 602. Phalanga, a coveltre.

22