subs. (old cant).—1.  ‘A Begger’s Wooden Dish or Cup’ (B. E. and GROSE).

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  1641.  R. BROME, A Joviall Crew, ii.

        This is Bien Bowse, this is Bien Bowse
Too little is my SKEW.

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  1754.  The Scoundrel’s Dictionary, ‘The Run-Morts Song,’ p. 27.

        To thy Bugher and thy SKEW,
Filch and Gybes I bid adieu.

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  2.  (Harrow).—An entrance examination at the end of term: that at the commencement is the ‘dab,’ after which there is no further chance; a shaky candidate tries the dab first. As verb. = to turn back, to fail.

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