taw

v. t. [ Cf. Tew to tow, Tow, v. t. ] To push; to tug; to tow. [ Obs. ] Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Tawed p. pr. & vb. n. Tawing. ] [ OE. tawen, tewen, AS. tāwian to prepare; cf. D. touwen, Goth. tēwa order, taujan to do, and E. tool. √64. Cf. 1st Tew, Tow the coarse part of flax. ] 1. To prepare or dress, as hemp, by beating; to tew; hence, to beat; to scourge. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To dress and prepare, as the skins of sheep, lambs, goats, and kids, for gloves, and the like, by imbuing them with alum, salt, and other agents, for softening and bleaching them. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. AS. tāw instrument. ] 1. A large marble to be played with; also, a game at marbles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A line or mark from which the players begin a game of marbles. [ Colloq. U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a tawdry manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality or state of being tawdry. [ 1913 Webster ]

A clumsy person makes his ungracefulness more ungraceful by tawdriness of dress. Richardson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Tawdrier superl. Tawdriest. ] [ Said to be corrupted from Saint Audrey, or Auldrey, meaning Saint Ethelreda, implying therefore, originally, bought at the fair of St. Audrey, where laces and gay toys of all sorts were sold. This fair was held in Isle Ely, and probably at other places, on the day of the saint, which was the 17th of October. ] 1. Bought at the festival of St. Audrey. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And gird in your waist,
For more fineness, with a tawdry lace. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Very fine and showy in colors, without taste or elegance; having an excess of showy ornaments without grace; cheap and gaudy; as, a tawdry dress; tawdry feathers; tawdry colors. [ 1913 Webster ]

He rails from morning to night at essenced fops and tawdry courtiers. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Tawdries A necklace of a rural fashion, bought at St. Audrey's fair; hence, a necklace in general. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Of which the Naiads and the blue Nereids make
Them tawdries for their necks. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who taws; a dresser of white leather. [ 1913 Webster ]