A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1513-1630
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Blok, Block, n. 2 Also: bloke, bloik, blocke. [Related to Blok v.]
1. A scheme or plot. 1513 Doug. v. xi. 12.
Juno, … Rollyng in mynd full mony kankyrryt blok 1570 Satirical Poems xxiv. 17.
That bastard bischop bred ane greiter blok, … I neid not speik it heir 1575 Ib. xliii. 122.
Dumbar, and Brichane, and mony vthair bloke; … he wrocht them and deuisit them a1585 Montg. Maitland Quarto MS lxiii. 155.
Thow sall not chaip mischeif … Nor thay that in that blok with thé conspyrit
2. A bargain of buying and selling; a commercial or business transaction. Freq. to mak blok.In common use after 1580. 1547–8 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 133.
Becaus he confessit the blok making and selling of his battery 1552 Ib. 164.
That na maner of burgessis of this burgh suld mak blok or by gudis in Leyth 1578 Reg. Privy C. II. 681.
That nane of his Hienes liegis … mak ony bargayne, blok, or conditioun upoun the selling of thair victuallis or utheris gudis 1579 Reg. Morton I. 119.
I haif maid a blok with the Thesaurar anent sum victualis in girnel and vtouth 1583–4 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 324.
For perfyting and ending of the blok betuix the guid town and archidene of Lowthiane 1594 Edinburgh Testaments XXVII. 44.
He ordanis … his spous to mak na greit blokis without the aduyse of the said oursear c 1609 Elphinstone Mem. 185.
Gif I get not liberty … to deill in the selling of sum landis or making blokkis for my crediterris releif 1623 Melrose P. 543.
Yow haue been ivill wsit in all that blok 1630 Mem. Skene of Skene 202.
Give onie barganes, blokis, or conditiones salbe maid
b. Something bought or sold; a bargain. c 1579 Waus Corr. I. 218.
Ye promeist me the half of that blok ye have gottin of Sande Carneis 1584 Ib. II. 309.
Incace the said … forsee ane ressonabill blok of landis to his utillitie and proffit ? 1596 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 13.
Ȝe micht haue had sik ane blok as nein of any natioun cowld hav the lyk off 1618 Sutherland Corr. 136.
Ane bargane with Meny anentt my blok, for I ame byinge my blok fre him agane
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Blok n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/blok_n_2>
