Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A high grassy and furzy down, or comb, in the south of England.

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word ewe-lease.

Examples

  • The three left the door and paced down Mellstock-lane and across the ewe-lease, bearing under their arms the instruments in faded green-baize bags, and old brown music-books in their hands; Dick continually finding himself in advance of the other two, and the tranter moving on with toes turned outwards to an enormous angle.

    Under the Greenwood Tree 2006

  • He said that wherever a clear space three or four yards wide ran in a line through a flock of sheep lying about a ewe-lease, it was a proof that somebody had passed there not more than half-an-hour earlier.

    Desperate Remedies Thomas Hardy 1884

  • It was one of the usual slow sunrises of this time of the year, and the sky, pure violet in the zenith, was leaden to the northward, and murky to the east, where, over the snowy down or ewe-lease on Weatherbury Upper Farm, and apparently resting upon the ridge, the only half of the sun yet visible burnt rayless, like a red and flameless fire shining over a white hearthstone.

    Far from the Madding Crowd 1874

  • It was one of the usual slow sunrises of this time of the year, and the sky, pure violet in the zenith, was leaden to the northward, and murky to the east, where, over the snowy down or ewe-lease on Weatherbury Upper Farm, and apparently resting upon the ridge, the only half of the sun yet visible burnt rayless, like

    Far from the Madding Crowd 1874

  • While dressing each morning since the gloomy day he had not whistled more than seven bars of a hornpipe without stopping and falling into thought of a most painful kind; and he had told none but absolutely true stories of foreign parts to the neighbouring villagers when they saluted and clustered about him, as usual, for anything he chose to pour forth -- except that story of the whale whose eye was about as large as the round pond in Derriman's ewe-lease -- which was like tempting fate to set a seal for ever upon his tongue as a traveller.

    The Trumpet-Major Thomas Hardy 1884

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.