Obs. exc. dial. [In sense 1, a. OF. trave beam: cf. It. trave beam:—L. trabem, acc. of trabs beam. Its application in sense 2 is difficult; but cf. F. entrave clog, fetter, shackle, hindrance, restraint.]
1. A (timber or wooden) beam.
1395. in Archæologia, XXIV. 313. Pro cariagio de ij traves pro justes de hospicio.
1574. Richmond Wills (Surtees), 251. ix hogesheads in the buttrie with the gantrees and traves there.
a. 1707. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus., 2 March (1721), 7. For its Ceiling only some rude traves laid athwart it. Ibid., 28 April (1732), 125. The Ceilings and Traves are … richly Painted.
b. dial. ? One of the shafts of a cart, or the shafts collectively. Also attrib.
1823. E. Moor, Suffolk Words, s.v., Horses harnessed ready for work, are said to be ‘in the trave’—or, ‘in the traves.’
1905. Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v., In phr. to be in the trave, of horses: to be harnessed ready for work.
2. A frame or enclosure of bars in which a restive horse is placed to be shod: cf. TRAVAIL sb.2
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 96. She sproong as a colt doth in the traue.
1483. Cath. Angl., 391/2. Trave for to scho horse in, ferratorium, ergasterium.
1613. R. Cawdrey, Table Alph. (ed. 3), Traue, a place to shoe wilde horses in.
1656. Blount, Glossogr., Trave (from the Fr. Travée, i. a bay of buildings), a trevise or little roome made purposely to shoo unbroken horses in.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Trave, Travel, or Travise, a Place enclosed with Rails, to shooe an unruly Horse in.
1847–78. Halliwell, Trave, a frame into which farriers put unruly horses.
† b. pl. See quot. 1706. Obs. rare–0.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Traves, a kind of Shackles for a Horse that is taught to amble, or pace.
1726. in Dict. Rust. (ed. 3).
