shaw

n. a small group of trees or a thicket.

n. a small wood, grove, or thicket. This sense is primarily found in Northern English dialects or older literary works.

“The birds hid from the wind in a small shaw at the edge of the field.”

“The path wound through a dense shaw of hazel and birch before opening onto the moorland beyond.”

Dialect · Literary

n. the green leaves and stems that grow above ground on vegetables like potatoes or turnips.

n. the foliage or tops of garden vegetables, particularly root crops like potatoes and turnips. This usage is specific to Scottish English.

“The farmer checked the potato shaws to see if the plants were healthy.”

“By late August, the potato shaws had begun to wither, signalling that the tubers beneath were ready for harvest.”

British English · Dialect

interj. a word used to show you are annoyed, used instead of a stronger swear word.

interj. a minced oath or euphemistic substitution for the profanity 'shit'.

“Oh shaw, I forgot to bring my umbrella.”

“He muttered a frustrated 'shaw' under his breath when the computer screen froze for the third time that hour.”

Slang · Informal