Definition of "throe"
throe1
noun
plural throes
A severe pang or spasm of pain, especially one experienced when the uterus contracts during childbirth, or when a person is about to die.
Quotations
[Valerius] Cordus ſaith, that Iuncus bombicinus ſodden in vvine, and ſo taken, helpeth the throvves and gripings of the bellie, that vvomen haue in their childing.
1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Cotton Grasse”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, book I, page 27
[M]ine own entrails did sustain / Moan for my daughter's yet unended throes, […]
1614–1615, Homer, “The Nineteenth Book of Homer’s Odysseys”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume II, London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, page 160, lines 564–565
Penſive here I ſat / Alone, but long I ſat not, till my womb / Pregnant by thee, and now exceſſive grown / Prodigious motion felt and rueful throes.
1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […]; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, lines 777–780
I'll viſit their Diſtreſs vvith Plagues and Miſeries, / The throvvs that VVomens Labours vvait, / Convulſive Pangs, and bloody Svveat, / Their Beauty ſhall conſume, and vital Spirits ſeize.
1693, Thomas Yalden, “The Curse of Babylon. Paraphras’d from the Thirteenth Chapter of Isaia. A Pindaric Ode.”, in Examen Poeticum: Being the Third Part of Miscellany Poems. […], London: […] R. E. for Jacob Tonson, […], stanza 5, pages 314–315
Thus round her new fal'n Young, the Heifer moves, / Fruit of her Throes, and Firſt-born of her Loves, / And anxious, (helpleſs as he lies, and bare) / Turns, and returns her, with a Mother's Care.
1720, Homer, [Alexander] Pope, transl., “Book XVII”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume V, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], page 3, lines 5–8
In this Shape, or in that, has Fate entail'd / The Mother's Throws on all of Woman born, / Not more the Children, than ſure Heirs of Pain.
1742, [Edward Young], “Night the First. On Life, Death, and Immortality. […]”, in The Complaint: Or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, & Immortality, London: […] [Samuel Richardson] for A[ndrew] Millar […], and R[obert] Dodsley […], published 1750, page 14
[W]e never know the full force of parental affection till our children are about to be taken from us. It is then that we discover how strongly they have entwined themselves round our hearts; when we behold the fixed eye, the pale lips, the convulsive throws of death distorting the countenance; or when with aching and throbbing hearts we deposit those who are a part of ourselves in the cold and silent grave.
1806 October, J. H. K., “Hints on the Manner in which Christian Parents should Improve the Death of Children”, in The Evangelical Magazine, volume XIV, London: […] [G. Auld] for Williams and Smith, […], page 441
Nature has her tortures as well as art, and how happy should we think the man who escapes from the throes of a mortal and painful disorder, in the space of a short half hour?
1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], chapter XXI, in Waverley; […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, page 322
(usually in the plural) The pain of labour or childbirth; the suffering of death.
Quotations
As if their own indignant earth, / Which gave the sons of England birth, / Had felt their blood upon her brow, / And shuddering with a mother's throe, / Had turned every drop of blood, / By which her face had been bedewed / To an accent unwithstood, / As if her heart had cried aloud: […]
1819 (date written), Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Masque of Anarchy. A Poem. […], London: Edward Moxon […], published 1832, stanzas XXXV–XXXVI, pages 18–19
Any severe pang or spasm, especially an outburst of feeling; a paroxysm.
Quotations
Commend me to them, / And tell them, that to eaſe them of their greefes, / Their feares of Hoſtile ſtrokes, their Aches loſſes, / Their pangs of Loue, vvith other incident throvves / That Natures fragile Veſſell doth ſuſtaine / In lifes vncertaine voyage, I vvill ſome kindnes do them, […]
c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene ii], page 97, column 1
I had then ſuch Convulſions in my Stomach, for want of ſome Suſtenance, that I cannot deſcribe; with ſuch frequent Throws and Pangs of Appetite, that nothing but the Tortures of Death can imitate; […]
1719, [Daniel Defoe], The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe; […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], page 203
But ask thou not if Happiness be there, / If the loud laugh disguise convulsive throe, / Or if the brow the heart's true livery wear; […]
1815, Walter Scott, “Canto Second”, in The Lord of the Isles, a Poem, Edinburgh: […] [F]or Archibald Constable and Co. […]; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown; by James Ballantyne and Co., […], stanza I, page 43
(figuratively, usually in the plural) A hard struggle, especially one associated with the beginning or finishing of a task.
Quotations
Of the group, Max (Room’s Jacob Tremblay) is the most nominally mature, at least biologically speaking; unlike his childhood companions, he’s entered the early throes of puberty, and spends a lot of his waking hours pining, rather chastely, for a classmate (Millie Davis).
2019 August 14, A. A. Dowd, “Good Boys Puts a Tween Spin on the R-rated Teen Comedy, to Mostly Funny Effect”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 4 March 2021
verb
third-person singular simple present throes, present participle throeing, simple past and past participle throed
(transitive) To cause (someone) to feel throes, as if in childbirth; to put in agony.
Quotations
Pre-thee ſay on, / The ſetting of thine eye, and cheeke proclaime / A matter from thee; and a birth, indeed, / Which throwes thee much to yeeld.
1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene i], page 8, column 1