thrave

noun

1. A sheaf; a handful (of crops).

2. A specified number (twenty-six, twenty-four, twelve, etc., depending on the place) of sheaves of a crop (wheat, oats, corn etc.); compare shock and stook, also a certain number of sheaves.

   obsolete

   A daimen icker in a thrave / 'S a sma' request;

3. Two dozen, or similar indefinite number; a bunch; a throng.

   obsolete

   The worst of a thrave.

   c. 16th century, Lansdowne manuscript

Where it comes from

From Middle English thrave, threve, thrafe, from Old Norse þrefi (“a bunch or handful of sheaves”), related to Old Norse þrifa (“to grasp”). Cognate with Swedish trave, Danish trave.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry thrave (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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