Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Apprehend, v. Also: apprie-, aprehend. [ME. (rare) and e.m.E. apprehend, L. apprehendere.]

1. tr. To come upon, find (a person). Also with presence as object. 1485 Acts Lords of Council *111/2.
The lordis ordanis thaim to be warnit again personaly gif thai can be apprehendit 1501 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 12.
To pass to the presence of the prior … of the Freris Carmelites … gyff thar presence can be eisily apprehendit1558-66 Knox II. 302.
To pas, charge, and requyre, all … Archbischoppis … personallie, gif thai can be apprehended 1564 Protocol Book of Thomas Johnsoun 140.
Becaus he culd not apprehend his personale presence 1622-6 Bisset I. 136/26.
The pairties beand personallie apprehendit and ane copie delyverit to him

b. To come upon, find or discover (a thing). 1568 Inverness B. Rec. I. 172.
Quhilk sek and malt … Thomas Stewart can nocht fynd nor apprehend 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 112.
Cristane Leslie … fund and apprehendit in the midding ane clew of all hewis

2. To come upon, find, catch, in wrong-doing, in the wrong place, etc. 1487 Edinb. B. Rec. 53.
Vnder the payne of … banesing of the persoun that beis aprehendit doand the contrair heirof 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 241.
Hundis and rachis that beis apprehendit in our saidis forestis 1508 Ib.
All our eschet of all catall and gudis that beyis apprehendit thairin 1518 Glenartney Docum. MS.
As for huntaris that may be apprehendit huntand within our saide forest 1541 Peebles B. Rec. 59.
Gif ony foirstallaris be apprehendit forstalland ony maner of merchandice 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 56/19.
Giue our Maister perchance vs apprehend, Thair is nane may fra his handis vs defend 1578 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 32.
Quhatsumewir personne apprehendand the said swyne … vertand the ertht 1602 Shetland Law Rep. in Scotsman 29 Jan. 1886.
Gif he beis apprehendit with the walor of an uristhift

b. To seize, arrest, take into custody. 1528–9 Edinb. B. Rec. 3.
Quhair thai can be apprehendit … thai sall be banist this towne 1568 Pref. Lynd. 5.
Gif ony war suspectit … thay war apprehendit, and incarcerat in strang presoun a1578 Pitsc. I. 146/10.
About this tyme thair was appriehendit and tain … ane breigand 1622-6 Bisset I. 208/4.
To … apprehend the witnese quha ar denunced rebellis 1657 Balfour Ann. I. 15.
This Malcolme Mackeneth, being apprehendit, wes shot upe a closse prissoner

3. To find and seize (goods, etc.); to get or lay hold of, as a legal act. 1491 Acts Lords of Council 187/2.
He … has promittit … to bring … all vtheris lettrez that he haid or can apprehend in his keping 1526 Reg. Privy S. I. 533/2.
To intromet and tak up the saidis eschete gudis quhairevir thai may be apprehendit 1552 Edinb. B. Rec. 164.
[The council] findis that the breid apprehendit with Hercules Methven is fer les nor the pace 1567 Acts III. 30/1.
Quhair euer thay apprehend, or find ony fals money, to clip the samin 1622-6 Bisset II. 255/17.
I have … guid actioun to the schip quherevir I may apprehend hir 1676 Glasgow Chart. II. 190.
If the saids guids should be apprehendit within any of the saids royall burrous

4. To get or take possession of; to catch. 1513 Doug. xi. vii. 70.
To othir costis or pepill forto wend, Thar dwellyng place for ay to apprehend 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 65.
Quhen thaj culd nocht apprehend the keyis thairof, thai … dang vp the samyn tolbuith dure perforce 1596 Dalr. I. 169/17.
Findeng occasioune to win honour … blythlie he apprehendes it c 1610 Rep. Hist. MSS., Var. Coll. V. 117.
I have thocht goode … to desyir yow … to tak and apprehend half ane scoir of fallow deir

5. To comprehend, understand. 15.. Clariodus iii. 255.
Scho maid ane regrat … importabill To heir, to aprehend, or to indyte 1562-3 Winȝet I. 75/20.
The perfyte, quik fayth be the quhilk we apprehend the grace of God