Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
verb
stand off; move away (said by milkmaids to their cows after milking them)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past, reflexive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Likely from a corruption of "rowan tree", a phrase which would have been chanted in order to drive off witches, since the tree was believed to be a ward against evil.
