taw

taw — verb

  • tawpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • taws3rd person singular
  • tawing-ing form
  • tawedpast simple

1. to turn animal skin into leather by treating it with minerals such as alum or sa

1.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to turn animal skin into leather by treating it with minerals such as alum or salt through a dry method, without soaking it in plant-based liquids

Example

Bao learned how to taw sheepskin using a traditional alum recipe from his grandfather.

taw + object (animal skin type)

Before factories, every village had a craftsman who could taw hides for shoes and bags.

Common collocations
  • taw a hide
  • taw sheepskin
  • taw with alum
  • taw with salt
  • tawed leather
Synonyms
  • cure

    broader; curing can mean drying or salting meat or fish, not specifically leather

  • dress

    more general term for preparing animal skins; includes cleaning and softening steps

Grammar Patterns

taw + object (hide/skin/leather)

Usage Note

Frequently used in historical or craft contexts. The dry process contrasts with 'tanning' which usually involves soaking in tannin-rich plant solutions. The passive form ('were tawed', 'is tawed') is common when describing how leather was traditionally made.

Common Mistakes

He tawed the leather by boiling it in tree bark.
He tawed the leather using alum and salt.
Tawing is a dry process; boiling in bark is vegetable tanning, not tawing.

2. to send a marble flying by flicking or pushing it with your thumb, especially as

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveC2
Definition

to send a marble flying by flicking or pushing it with your thumb, especially as part of a marbles game

Example

Emre crouched on the dusty ground and prepared to taw his blue marble toward the circle.

taw + object (marble) + direction (toward…)

The children spent the afternoon learning how to taw — aim, flick, and follow through.

Common collocations
  • taw a marble
  • taw a shooter
  • taw at the ring
  • taw toward the circle
Synonyms
  • shoot

    the standard modern word; 'shoot a marble' is understood by all speakers, while 'taw a marble' is very rare

  • flick

    emphasises the finger motion rather than the game itself

Grammar Patterns

taw (no object)

taw + object (marble/shooter)

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used in the context of the children's game of marbles. In modern English, 'shoot' is far more common than 'taw' for this action. The word survives mostly in historical accounts or regional dialects.

Common Mistakes

He tawed the basketball at the hoop.
He shot the basketball at the hoop.
Taw only refers to flicking a marble, not throwing any ball.

taw — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four words refer to different types or roles of marbles. A 'taw' is a large marble kept aside as a player's main shooter — the one you use to hit other marbles. 'Shooter' is the modern, more common term for the same role; any player today would understand 'shooter' immediately, while 'taw' is regional and dated. A 'steelie' is a specific kind of metal ball bearing used as a particularly heavy shooter — it is a subtype of shooter/taw, not a synonym for either. 'Marble' is the general term for any small glass or clay ball used in the game; calling a target marble a 'taw' would be incorrect. 'Aggie' is a historical term for a marble made of agate, prized for its hardness and appearance; like 'steelie', it names the material rather than the role. In practice: 'She used her favourite aggie as her taw' combines both terms correctly.

shootersteelie ↗marble ↗aggie ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • taw line
  • taw game
  • taw partner

Phrases

  • play taw
  • swing your taw
  • shoot from the taw

Prepositions

  • taw at
  • taw toward
  • taw from

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The verb 'taw' (to prepare leather) comes from Old English 'tawian' meaning 'to prepare, make, or dress.' Its ancestor is the Proto-Germanic 'tawjaną' (to make, prepare). The marbles-related senses (shooter, game, line) likely developed from 'taw' as a line or row — possibly related to an Old English word 'taw' meaning a row or boundary. The square-dance sense probably grew out of the marbles-line meaning, since 'taw' came to mean 'a partner designated by position in a formation.' The Hebrew letter 'taw' (also 'tav') entered English directly from Hebrew ת, where the letter's name originally meant 'mark' or 'sign.' These three distinct etymological strands — a Germanic verb for leatherworking, a games term for a line or shooter, and a Semitic letter name — coexist as homographs in modern English.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined above Noun (1)