Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Fore-, Foir-face, n. Also: fore-faice. [e.m.E. fore face (1545), but rare; common in Sc.] The front or forward facing part of anything.(a) 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 310.
vj greit geistis … to be standarts to the foirface of the Newhevin 1565 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 25.
In the ower galry ane foirface of ane pres 1581–2 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 229.
To caus mak … ane pres … and the foirface to be of estland buird 1595 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 582.
Daillis for the sylring off the scoole … and the foir face off the bonkaris c1610 Melville Mem. 26.
Themperour … trenched the haill camp round about, saif only the foirfaice of the stey bra that loked towardis our camp c1650 Spalding I. 38.
Ane four nvkit taffill set about the foir face of the Parliament 1663 Edinb. Test. LXXI. 102.
The foirface of ane old studie & fixt bed(b) 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Feodvm.
That the said keiper of the great seale set down his price in the fore-face of everie tag 1629 Soc. Ant. I. 109.
That the twa firre seates … be removed and made equall with the foreface of his Ma[jes]ties lofts 1641 Baillie I. 316.
At the barr, the fore-face of his dask, he kneeled