A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420-1558, 1638
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Hirst, Hyrst, n.1 [Northern Eng. and Sc. variant of ME. hurst(e, OE. hyrst.] a. A (hard or barren) hillock, knoll, or ridge. b. A bank of sand or gravel in a harbour.a. c1420 Wynt. i. 400.
Of wellis wawerit wallis wid, Oure hill and hirst 1456 Exchequer Rolls VI. 214.
[De firmis … de Twa Hullyrhyrstis 1475 Ayr Charters 90.]
Terre nuncupate le Brakanhirst 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 134.
Blaknyt schew the brays With hyrstis harsk of waggand wyndill strays 1513 Ib. xi. vii. 56.
With scharp plewis … Thai hard hillys hyrstis for to eyr 1513 Ib. Comm. iv/1.
A hirst or ryg of craggy rolkisb. 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 245.
To ane boit ressaving grit hirsts out of the havin 1638 Edinb. B. Rec. VII. 200.
That the said persouns sall caus cleng the herbarie of all hirsts of chingill or sand
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"Hirst n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/hirst_n_1>
