cow as a verb

While trying to improve my english vocabulary I discovered the verb meaning of the word cow. I dont have access to any etymological dictionaries so I was wondering if anyone here knows the origin of this meaning. Was verb usage in common use before the noun meaning? I think I would get a cock-eyed look from my peers if I used it in the verb sense but I might try to add it my  colloquial  speech. It's fun to find words like this, does anyone have more examples of words like "cow?"

-john

Hi, John - and welcome!

Actually, you do have access to etymological dictionaries! Here's what one says about cow (as both a noun and a verb).

I'm sure there are quite a few English words which have both noun and verb forms. Off the top of my head, here are a few you can start with: run, hit,  view, contact, leaf, and  record.   Or are you looking specifically for animal names which also have verb forms?

Yes, the Online Etymology Dictionary is one of my favorites, also; it has a place of honor in my Frequent-Access bookmarks folder.

Lessee, animal names that are verbs.   Crow, bull, fish (in at least three senses), worm, rat, porpoise, monkey, dog, bird-dog, hare, rabbit, fox, chicken, possibly ram (or maybe that's an animal named after a verb), eel, horse, skunk.   And of course cow.   No doubt there are dozens more I can't think of right now.

I couldn"t help wanting to duck in here and ape what you"re doing. Sure, it may buffalo some people, but if you can ferret out enough such words you might want to squirrel them away. Then later you can hawk the list to someone else.

The pony buyer better pony up the bid price or the pony goes back home to its owner. In the meantime, someone at the auction house has to clean up and dispose of the pony and trap. (The OED would help.)

Emmett