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.
Quotation dates: 1420-1574
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Exces, Excesse, n.1 Also: ecces, acces, accesse, axces [ME. excesse (Chaucer), exces, OF. exces, L. excessus.]
1. Immoderate or outrageous conduct or action.(a) c1420 Wynt. viii. 3287.
The jurysdyctyowne he lede hale, And punysyd exces and trespas 1456 Hay I. 186/2.
Doand nane outrage na exces 1456 Ib. II. 99/10.
Quhen ony man dois despisyng or villany or ony grete excesse to the prince c1450-2 Howlat 925.
How the howlat him bure So hie and so haltane, … In exces our arrogant(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 651 (C).
His accesse [R. ecces] sa outtrageouse c1460 Consail Wys Man 329.
Fle axces in al kind of thinge
2. An extreme or too great amount of anything; superabundance. 1456 Hay I. 101/27.
We se that malady cummys nocht in mannis body, bot for sum exces of evill humouris c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii. 5.
Exces of thocht dois me mischeif c1500-c1512 Ib. xl. 28.
They drank twa quartis, … Of drowth sic exces did thame constrene 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 9/6.
He statut ane ordinance … to vse them til indure excesse of laubirs c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5126.
Sum deith [= deis] be extreme excesse Of joy
b. Additional cost or expense. 1538 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XVI. (Jam. (1825) s.v. Calcul).
To calcul the exces necessar 1556 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 249.
The exces maid thairon to tyne to the said Maister James in his awne hand
3. The act of going beyond bounds. 1456 Hay I. 300/33.
To do thame gude, but exces, be mesure, is bot wele done 1456 Ib. II. 97/16.
Sa sall thou … kepe thy countenaunce and thy temperaunce fra all excesse c1460 Thewis Wysmen 107.
He dois consaill, and levis his wyll, He is euer sobyr, but exces
b. Intemperance; immoderate eating or drinking.(a) 1456 Hay II. 47/5.
Na excesse of glutony, drunkynnesse, na othir mystemperaunce 1456 Ib. 116/8.
He mon be mesurit in sleping and waking, travailing and resting, and othir syndry excessis c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 95.
Him followit mony fowil drunckart, … In surffet and exces 1535 Stewart 36450.
This Culenus … So glittous was than into chalmer glew, With sic exces takand sua large ane fill 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 19.
To … saif vs fra exces, and drunkinnes(b) 1535 Stewart 27613.
Grit plentie … of meit and drink … In sic acces 1574 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 104.
Rayatus acces of bankating
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"Exces n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/exces_n_1>
