thraw

From Middle English thrawen, from Old English þrāwan (“to turn, twist, curl, rack, torture, turn around”),^[1] from Proto-West Germanic *þrāan, from Proto-Germanic *þrēaną (“to twist, turn”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub, rub by twisting, twist, turn”). Cognate with English throe, throw.

thraw (third-person singular simple present thraws, present participle thrawin, simple past thrawt, past participle thrawt)

1. (transitive) To twist or wrench.
2. (intransitive) To writhe or wriggle.
3. (intransitive) To act perversely.

thraw (plural thraws)

1. A severe pang or spasm of pain; also, any severe pang or spasm, especially an outburst of feeling; a paroxysm, a throe.
   • 1887, Robert Louis Stevenson, “”, in Underwoods, London: Chatto and Windus, , →OCLC, book II (In Scots), page 126:

     The thrawes o' fear on a' were shed, / An' the hair rose, an' slumber fled, / An' lichts were lit an' prayers were said / Through a' the kintry; […]

     The throes of fear on all were shed, / And the hair rose, and slumber fled, / And lights were lit and prayers were said / Through all the country; 

   • 1927 July, John Buchan, “The Minister Girds Up His Loins”, in Witch Wood (in English), London: Hodder and Stoughton, published August 1927, →OCLC, page 179:

     My heid was in sic a thraw last nicht that I canna sweir wi' ony certainty to ither faces, though I hae my suspeecions about the weemen.

     My head was in such a throe last night that I cannot swear with any certainty to other faces, though I have my suspicions about the women.

• IPA^(key): /θrau̯/

thraw

1. Aspirate mutation of traw.