1) A piece of wood such as a pole or stake, but with a wide range of applications.
1380 ‘John Pye is charged … for cutting greenery and for one wagon-load of Ellerstowrs’, Yeadon
1409 Et pro stowres et j syff ixd, Beverley
1463 12 duss’ fyrdelys 4C smalle burdes 4C bowstaffes 4C smalle stowres, Hull
1575 no person … shall … pytch any stowres, powles or staves in any street, Beverley. The upright poles on carts were called ‘wain stowers’: 1600 not one Ashe fit for a waynestower, Settrington
1617 yonge ashes to sell, oxe bowes, wayne stowers, Brandsby
1642 see that the … waines be sownde and … putte in stowers wheare any are wantinge, Elmswell. It is considered to have an Old Norse origin but may have been influenced by estower as a form of estover: 1619-21 for estowers and pawnage in the Princes woodes, Pickering.