Obs. or arch. Forms: see SWILL v. and BOWL sb.1; also 6 swielbolle, swylbowle, 6–7 swilbol. [f. SWILL v. + BOWL sb.1] One who habitually ‘swills the bowl’ or drinks to excess; a toper, drunkard.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 330 b. The greatest swielbolle of wyne in the world.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., I. (1879), 86. The Drunkards & swilbowles, vppon their ale benches.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXIII. viii. II. 171. Lustie tosse-pots and swill-bolls.
1616. Deacon, Tobacco Tortured, 57. Alas poore Tobacco, my pretie Tobacco; thou that hast bene hitherto accompted the Ale-knights armes, the Beere brewers badge,… the Swil bols swine-troffe, the Tinkers trull.
1655. R. Younge, Agst. Drunkards (1863), 5. Though these swinish swill-bouls make their gullet their god.
1816. Long-Island Star, 6 March, 1/3. The Drunkard is … a walking swill-bowl, the picture of a beast, and the monster of a man.
a. 1845. Mrs. Bray, Warleigh, xviii. (1884), 149. I will allow nothing to make you the companions of swillbowls and ranters.
