arch. Forms: 4–6 bausen, 4–7 bawson, 4– bauson; also 4 baucyne, bawcyn, 5 bawsone, -ym, (bawstone, bauston), 6 bauzon, bawsym, (balstone), 7 boson, 8 bawsin, (boreson). [ME. bausen, a. OF. bausen, bauzan, see next word, the animal taking its name from the white mark on its face: cf. bauson-faced. See BADGER sb.2 for the etymological parallel of F. blaireau badger, from Flem. blaer, Du. blaar white spot on the forehead. (But in Fr., bausen, etc., has never been applied to the badger, and its being so used in Eng. implies a much earlier use of the adj. than we have evidence of.)]
A. sb. A badger; see BADGER sb.2
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 392. Bukkez, bausenez, & bulez to þe bonkkez hyȝed.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 2299. Bores boles and baucynes.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. I. 327. White beres, bausons, and brokkes.
1496. Dives & Paup., VI. xiv. 256. Taxus … is a brok or a bawsym in Englysshe.
1587. M. Grove, Poems (1878), 67. The wilie subtile foxe The balstone or [printed on] the grey doth chase and beate from cliuie rocks.
1593. Drayton, Eclog., iv. 176. His Mittens were of Bauzons skin.
1741. Compl. Fam.-Piece, II. i. 298. A Badger is known by several Names, as a Gray, a Brock, a Boreson or Bauson.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), 1. A bawsin, melis.
b. applied contemptuously to persons, fat (like the badger before winter), or pertinacious.
1607. Lingua, V. xvi. in Hazl., Dodsl., IX. 452. Peace, you fat bawson, peace.
1862. H. Ainsworth, Constable of T., 131. Know, ye incredulous bawsons, that I am now one of the royal household.
B. adj. = BAUSONED. Hence bauson-faced.
1587. Wills & Inv. N. C. (1860), 288. One stud mare of colour bawson sored.
1829. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xxviii. Ye might try it on the bauson-faced year-auld quey.
