Forms: 4, 68 frow(e, 68 fro(e, (7 frau, phraw), 7 frow. [ad. Du. vrouw = Ger. frau lady, woman, wife.]
1. A Dutchwoman.
1390. Will of M. Quellyngbourgh (Comm. Crt. Lond.). Margareta Quellyngbourgh Frowe.
1477. Paston Lett., No. 792, III. 181. The frowys of Broggys, with there hye cappes.
1605. Lond. Prodigal, I. i. M. Flow. By this light a Dutch Frow; they say they are called kind.
1617. Middleton & Rowley, Fair Quarrel, III. ii. 1. [To a Dutch nurse] Sweet fro, to your most indulgent care Take this my hearts joy.
c. 1681. Roxb. Ball. (1891), VII. 490. In Holland a Phraw he did wed, a couple he marrid in Cailes.
1796. Campaigns 17934, I. I. ii. 7. The skippers and frows flocked in crowds to the pier.
2. A woman, a lady; a wife. Chiefly of Dutch or German women, or of others compared to them.
1587. Harrison, England, II. ix. (1877), I. 189. Saxon princes began to ioine in matrimonie with the British ladies, as the British barons did with the Saxon frowes.
1639. Glapthorne, Wallenstein, III. ii. Ive known him for all this heat Gainst woman-hood, pursue a sutlers froe.
1666. trans. Horaces Odes, VIII. ii. The sun-burnt froe Of him that was chose Consul from the plough.
1708. E. Cook, Sot-weed Factor (1865), 21. We scarce had playd a Round about, But that these Indian Froes fell out.
1831. Trelawny, Adv. Younger Son., I. xxii. 168. Old Saboo there keeps himself, and frow, and half a score of young ones, with half their number.
† 3. Applied to the Mænads or Bacchantes of classical paganism; also transf.
1567. Turberv., Ovids Ep., 114. The frantike fro, Whome fell Erichtho hath in chase.
1589. Pasquils Ret., D. Some gadded vppe and downe the streetes, like Bacchus Froes.
1606. Chapman, M. DOlive, Plays, 1873, I. 208. The Ladies of this land would teare him peece-meal (As did the drunken Froes, the Thratian Harper).
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., viii. 117. The frantick British Froes, their hair disheuelled With fire-brands ran ahout.
a. 1616. Beaum. & Fl., Wit at Sev. Weapons, V. i. They are now Buxsome as Bachus Froesrevelling, dancing.
4. dial. (See quot.)
1781. J. Hutton, Tour to Caves, Gloss., Frow, sb., an idle, dirty woman.
c. 1795. [? Porson], Horace, Odes, I. xxvii., in Spirit Publ. Jrnls. (1799), I. 142. And were your girl the dirtiest drab Out with it What? is it she? the filthy frow.