Green’s Dictionary of Slang

a euph. oath, lit. God’s wounds!

1593		G. Peele Edward I in Dyce (1861) 382: Ye dogs, ouns! do me a shrewd turn, and mock me too?
1688		T. Shadwell Squire of Alsatia III i: Ounds! am I become your scorn? your laughter?
1695		Congreve Love for Love II i: Ouns, who are you?
1697		Cibber Woman’s Wit I i: Ounds! the Money!
1697		Vanbrugh Provoked Wife II i: A woman’s tongue a cure for the spleen! Oons!
1706		Farquhar Recruiting Officer II iii: ’Ounds, off with your hats!
1707		Farquhar Beaux’ Strategem II ii: ’Oons, what a witch it is!
1709		Cibber Rival Fools I i: Oons! you won’t persuade me out of my Senses, will you?
1714		G. Hunter ‘Androboros’ in Meserve & Reardon Satiric Comedies (1969) 33: ’Owns! Can your Talisman make you See [...] You old Conj’ring Dog, you?
1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy II 137: Oons, tis all one, if I’m up or lye down.
1722		S. Centlivre Artifice Act III: Ouns, ’tis that beggarly Badge of Quality, Sir, John Freeman!
1733		‘The Gentleman’s Study’ in Dublin Mag. 21: Oons to my Groin, come put a Plaister.
1748		Smollett Roderick Random (1979) 413: Oons! Are you asleep, Rory!
1751		Smollett Peregrine Pickle (1964) 597: Oons! how you tickle my timbers!
1761		Nancy Dawson’s Jests 13: What, says he, that urchin married to such a strapper, Oons, ’tis a glyster pipe in the arse of an elephant.
1777		Sheridan School For Scandal IV iii: Sir Peter! – Oons and the devil!
1796		G. Colman Yngr Iron Chest II ii: May I not have a secret? Oons! good brother.
1802		Sporting Mag. Oct. XXI 9/2: Ouns! be quiet.
1810		C. Dibdin Yngr Village Fete 24: Oons! neighbour, ne’er blush for a trifle like this.
1832		S. Warren Diary of a Late Physician in Works (1854) III 139: Murther and oons!
1834		(con. 1737–9) W.H. Ainsworth Rookwood (1857) 60: Oons, is there a reward offered for Turpin’s apprehension?