Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Fre, v. Also: free, frey, frie. P.t. and p.p. freyde, frede, fred. [ME. fre, fren, freon, OE. fréon, fréoᵹan.]

1. tr. To make free; to set at liberty. 1456 Hay I. 264/18.
Gif a bonde man wald allege that his lord had fred him c1460 Vert. Mes. 3961.
For ilke mes … sundry saulys ar deliueryt and fred out of the payne of purgatory c1475 Wall. i. 40.
Quhen it [sc. Scotland] was lost … , he fred it weyle throu grace Ib. viii. 1580.
Thai frede the folk, in Ingland for to gang a1500 Bk. Chess 1163.
Thar was a Roman takin in the weir And fred agane 1513 Doug. ii. ii. 139.
I grant that from the deth my self I fred [: fled] 1533 Boece iv. iii. 129.
Thay had curtesly fred thare plageis 1572 Sat. P. xxxi. 108.
Sic farleis hes bene sene That Frauce will haif hir … fred out of Ingland a1578 Pitsc. I. 189/14.
Wthersum … was weill content that he had fred him self in that maner 1601 Crim. Trials II. 359.
The said Johne Dundas salbe fred and relewit furth of the waird 1626 Garden Worthies 62.
Thow … had perforce him fred, Hade nought thy forces fals or fearfull fled

b. To rescue. 1513 Doug. x. xiii. h.
The ȝong Lawsus … Quhilk fred his fader hurt in the bargane a1586 Maitland Geneal. Setoun 17.
Sir Christell … straik at yarde him that had the King in hand, and … fred the said King

2. To make free or exempt fra or from, or clear of, something.(1) c1420 Wynt. iv. 2009.
For that caus thai freyde were Fra the trewage off ten yhere 1536 Lynd. Answ. Flyting 3.
From ȝour flyting, wald God, that I wer fred [: red] 1567 Sat. P. iii. 76.
That day that sho was … So frely fred from all aduersitie 1596 Dalr. II. 11/36.
Quha … fred him selfe thaireftir … thairfra [sc. from trouble] 1603 Philotus clviii.
Sen I am fred fra that feir(2) 1478 Acta Aud. 61/1.
Quintyne Schaw … frede Sir William of Knollis … of the soume of vj li. 1573 Sat. P. xli. 80.
Thocht of this feir thow salbe fred [: bred] 1583 Conv. Burghs I. 162.
That Jhoun Arnott … suld be fred of his cautionarship 1612 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 441.
Craifand to be fred of his oppression … in tyme cuming

b. To free from a burden or restriction. 1474 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 527.
To … frie and redeim all and sundry my landis 1480 Acta Conc. 62/2.
Ser Johne has … lowsit and fred the arrest maid vpoun the said Johnes corne 1510 Misc. Spald. C. V. 395.
Gif he apeirs not and freys not the land of myn to the said Jhone

c. To clear off; to clear by leaping. 1441 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 7.
Except the rentaile that the balȝes sal haue to free anerly the pensiones of the toune a1578 Pitsc. I. 208/13.
The kingis horse seand this lap and fred the slake of fre will