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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Degré, n. Also: degrey, -grie, -gree. [ME. degré (c 1230), OF. degré.]

1. A degree in rank or standing. a1400 Leg. S. xiii. 5.
Thai ware of hear degre As apostolis chosine to be c1400 Troy-bk. i. 286.
Ilk man arayit in thar degre c1420 Wynt. v. 3971.
Bathe pure and rych in thare degre He luwyd 1456 Hay I. 27/20.
Rycht sa ar the prelatis of the kirk … in thair degreis Ib. 284/16.
It is the lawest of degree of all the four elementis a1500 Henr. Fab. 387.
Of eirthly ioy it beris maist degre a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 337.
Schir Gauane the gay, grete of degre c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 19.
Onto the ded gois all Estatis, … Baith riche & pur of all degre 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. cxi.
Apprise ilk stait into thair awin degre 1552 Reg. Cupar A. II. 106.
To mak subtenentis off na gretar degre nor estait nor thame selfis a1568 Bann. MS. 217 b/43.
Thocht scho be cumd of grit degre, And thow be cumin of sempill kin a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxviii. 9.
Magistratis and men of degrie 1596 Dalr. I. 1/7.
Baith of our Nobilitie, and of the lai people, in quhatsaeuir state or degrie

b. An academical degree. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 13.
Swa that na man be admittit to resaue degre except that he haif promouit in lettres Ib. 16.
The casualiteis … that cumis of the entres of the studentis … and of the degreis

2. A degree of kinship or descent. 1375 Barb. v. 134.
A lady … That wes till hym in neir degre Off cosynage 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 44.
I am bot of the feirde degre of kyn tyll yhow, … and syn I am in swilk degre tyll yhow [etc.] c1420 Wynt. ii. 644.
This Newyle was fra this Noye, As I sayde ayre, the twenty degre Ib. viii. 2342.
The kynge of Frawnse … Was til him cusynge in nere degre a1500 Henr. Fab. 2667.
Of his barnis … Unto the twentie degre descending doun 1567 Acts III. 44/2.
Notwithstanding that thai attenit to the pertie defendar … in als neir or nerrar degreis 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 23.
Sic ane husband … as wald desir the first degre of successioun to his awin blude 1598 Crim. Trials II. i. 67.
Becaus his lordschip hes raknit the said Sir James to be within degreis defendand to his lordschip, baith in affinitie and consanguinitie 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 98.
Heritage descends be degrie

3. A degree in amount, intensity, quality, etc. a1400 Leg. S. iii. 1041.
In ilke face in sum degre Men fyndis diuersyte c1420 Wynt. iv. 254.
That he sulde off that wattyr be Revengyde in to sic degree … That [etc.] c1420 Ratis R. 1639.
Bot gyf that kindly properte. Trespas and ere in that degre 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 90.
Geue that thare ony places be more creuell than vithers in degre 1567 G. Ball. 36.
[I am] nocht worthie that men me hauld Na mair thy sone, in ony degre

b. In al degre (also at al degreis), in all respects, in every way. a1400 Leg. S. vii. 22.
To Ihesu sa iyk wes he Of al fasone in al degre c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 979.
To eschue in all degre Of thame alwey the ennymyte c1420 Wynt. i. 774.
Off wysage … lyk is he Till a man in all degre Ib. v. 2589.
My falow in all degre c1460 Consail Wys Man 30.
For al suppos wnwys thow bee, ȝit sal thow mend in al degre c1500 Crying of Play 134.
Edinburgh … Quhilk is the lampe & A per se Of this regioun in all degre 1513 Doug. vii. xii. 26.
This Lausus was wele taucht at al degreis To dant grete hors

c. In na (or no) degre, to no extent, not at all. ?1438 Alex. i. 641.
That our airis nocht blamit be Na ȝit the king in na degre Haue shame c1460 Thewis Wysmen 326.
Thai can nocht bere … warldis welth in na degree c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxii. 13.
For it micht, hurt in no degre That one [etc.] a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxv. 46.
Sen in this warld in na degre Is kyndnes nor fidelitie

4. Manner or way. a1400 Leg. S. iii. 1012.
Quhen the bischop herd, that he Askit met in sic degre c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2574.
Acastrus sperit … At Pirrus, quhat he was, & he Answerit agane in this degre ?1438 Alex. i. 497.
Me had leuer in feild be slane Than leif the fecht in sik degre c1460 Consail Wys Man 323.
Quha dois nocht in this degre Be law a theif may callyt be

5. State or condition. a1400 Leg. S. v. 128.
Ger thu ȝone gold and stanis be Refourmyt in thar firste degre c1475 Wall. viii. 1678.
It war worschip his presens for to se, Sen at this rewm standis in sic degre

6. A degree of measurement. c1420 Wynt. i. 936.
Thir landys … Fra the est ewyn lyand are, … Land be land in to thair degre 1596 Dalr. I. 58/16.
Eftir thair constitutione, Hirth is in the saxtie thrie digrie, and Man in the fiftie sevinth

7. A stage in progress. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 12.
Swa in thre yeris thyr regentis salpas bedegreis the hail cours of dialectic

8. A step; a stage in elevation. 1603 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 25.
The scholeris of the said Grammar School sall sitt everie Sonday in the new kirk on the degreis vnder the new loft 1616 Ib. 84.
A buird, to be sett in the new kirk, in the bodie thairof afoir the degries 1630 Bamff Chart. 222.
Ane meat ambrie of thrie degries 1633 M. Works Acc. XXV. 47.
For … hewing the dyell … with the pillar, stapis, degries and fundatioun thairof 1647 Elgin Rec. II. 258.
The uppermost degrie of the dask adjacent to the tutor of Duffes his dask