Forms: 6 bauine, 6–7 bauen, -in, 7 baven, -yn, 7–8 bavine, 6– bavin. [Derivation unknown; among sources which have been suggested are OF. baffe a bundle; also Gael. baban, babhaid, tassel, cluster.]
1. A bundle of brushwood or light underwood, such as is used in bakers’ ovens, differing from a fagot in being bound with only one withe or band instead of two; in Mil. a fascine.
1528. in T. Whitaker, Hist. Craven (1812), 303. Item, for 40 load of cutwood & bavins.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 331. Bavins be knowen by their bands.
1603. H. Crosse, Vertues Commw. (1878), 133. Which like a bauin giueth goodly blaze … but is soone out.
1629. S’hertogenbosh, 39. The Enemies did nothing else but fill the ditches with wet Bauins of trees.
1776. T. Bowden, Farm. Direct., 11. All hay ricks should be bottomed with faggots and bavins.
a. 1848. Marryat, R. Reefer, xiii. The bavins of furze … shall be sold.
fig. 1593. Nashe, Christ’s T. (1613), 144. Adding more Bauines vnto it of lasciuious embolstrings.
1605. Chapman, Eastw. Hoe, A iij. If he out-last not a hundred such crackling Bauins as thou art.
b. collect. sing. Brushwood, firewood.
1577. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 133. In stacking of bauen … make vnder thy bauen a houell for hogs.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva, 48. [They] be profitable for the Oven, and make good Bavin.
c. attrib., as in bavin-band, -stack; bavin wits, wits bavin-like in quick and short-lived blaze.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. ii. 61. Shallow Iesters, and rash Bauin Wits, Soone kindled and soone burnt.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., Birch … is of use for Bavin bands.
1762. trans. Duhamel’s Husb., I. viii. 21. The bottom of bavine-stacks.
2. Min. Impure limestone. (? a different word).
1839. Murchison, Silur. Syst., I. xxxvi. 484. These concretions … are called ‘bavin,’ the shale associated with them being termed ‘rotch.’
