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 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Lip, n. Also: lip(p)e, lyp(p, leip. [ME. lip, lyppe, lippe, OE. lippa.]

1. The lip of a person or animal.Commonly with reference to the use of the lips for eating and drinking, speaking, kissing, etc., in special phrases, and in proverbs (for which see also Latuce n. b). To lick one's lip(s), see Lik v.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxv. 147.
Na ȝet thi lyppis suld nocht be Opnyt to pray the Trinite c1460 Thewis Wysmen 85.
His lyppis honorys sciens ay c1475 Wall. ix. 1928.
His lyppys round, his noys was squar and tret a1568 Gyre-carling 6.
For luve of hir lawchand lippis c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 263.
O morall Gower [etc.] … Your sugurit lippis and tongis aureate [etc.] Id. liii. 39 (M).
For lachtter nain mycht hald thair lippis Id. liv. 5, 10, etc.
My ladye with the mekle lippis 1507–8 Treas. Acc. IV. 102.
To the draucht trumpet that hed ane sair lip 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 252.
I hald my tung for schame, bytand my lyp Ib. xii. Prol. 124.
The roys knoppis … Gan … kyth thar vermel lippis red c1515 Asl. MS. I. 169/25.
And sum men has thair nether lipe samekle that it coweris thair face fra the son a1568 Jok & Jynny 55.
Twa lusty lippis to lik ane laidill 1567 G. Ball. 88.
Our lippis may lie c1610 Jok Uplandis Newis 7 a.
Fyrie puritane and all the rest ... bait on ther lipe and had no ansser to mak(b) 1697 Old Lore Misc. IX. i. 48.
A black mear with a whyt leip(2) transf. a1585 Polwart Flyt. 809 (T).
Keillie lippis, kis my hippis 1606 Rollock 1 Thess. 343 (J).
Sweete sleeked lippes(3) proverbs a1599 Rollock Wks. I. 393.
Gif thou continue sa quhill thy lyfe be in thy lip, as we speik, quhill the last gasp a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 613.
Gude kaill, fair teale, fair fall the lips that taled the teale Ib. No. 1170; 1653 Binning Wks. 394.
Manie things fallis out betwene the cap and the over lip

2. transf. a. The lip or rim of a vessel or the like. Also plur. (in sing. sense). b. The edge or brim of a hat. Chiefly plur. (sometimes in sing. sense).a. (1) plur. 1553 Carte Northberwic 68.
Ane cowp of masar tre … circulit about the lippis vytht siluer 1618 Acts IV. 586/2.
The ring-straik of the said firlot [to have] … fyve impressions of the letter L. vpon the lippes thereof(2) sing. 1554–5 Soc. Ant. LXXII. 227.
That ilk mesour haif ane tapoun an inche beneith the lip 1573–4 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. . 1578 Edinb. Test. VI. 232.
Ane blak cop with siluer about the lip 1589 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 381. 1596 Dysart Rec. 45.
Be the gift of the lip of the salt pan earth and stane of the tenement 1606 Edinb. Test. XLI. 114 b; etc.b. (1) plur. 1576 Crim. Trials I. ii. 51.
Ane blak bonet … with silkin laissis drawin throw the lippis thairof 1578 Edinb. Test. VI. 84.
xj dosane of pasmentis to lippis of hattis 1583 Ib. XIII. 107; 1586 Ib. XV. 64 b. 1601 Treas. Acc. MS. 141 b.
To browder the hat about the lippis tua hankis … siluir … and gold 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 353.
M^r. Alexander Montgomerie … shott him throw the lippes of his bonnett 1685 Sinclair Satan's Invisible World 88.
The gentleman had lately gotten a hat in the fashion with broad lipps(2) sing. 1586 Edinb. Test. XVI. 147.
Half ane dissone of hattis with the border about the lyp