A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1449-1678
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Maisterful(l, Masterful(l, a. Also: maistir-, -yr-, mastir- and -fule. [ME. maister-, maysterful (14th c.).]
1. Overbearing, strong-handed, using violence or threats. a. Of persons, espec. robbers or beggars. b. Of the actions of such persons.This sense chiefly or only Sc.a. 1457 Acts II. 51/1.
(a) Anent maisterfull men that schapis thame to occupy maisterfully lordis landis a1500 Henr. Orph. 203 (Ch. & M.).
Mony carefull king & quene … Quhilk in thair lyf rycht maisterfull had bene 1535 Acts II. 347/2. 1551 Protocol Book of Sir John Cristisone 107.
[The said tenants shall be held and reputed as … violent possessors and] maisterfull occupearis 1561 Dumfries B. Ct. 15 a.
The bailyeis to discharge all mynstralis … be caus it is fundin that thai ar maisterfull begaris 1585 Reg. Privy C. III. 747. c1590 Fowler II. 184/33.
Any murtherers, traytors or maisterfull reavers 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI. 452.
Be maisterfull oppressouris, revaris and sornaris 1613 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 29.
Be any maisterfull outlaw 1616 Haddington Mem. II. 132.(b) 1449 Acts II. 36/1.
For the away putting of sornaris ouerlyaris & masterful beggaris 1483 Ib. 165/2. a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 510.
Thus masterfull synnaris oft sys but counter pleidb. 1449 Acts II. 36/2.
For the eschewing of grete and masterful thift and reife 1474 Acts Lords Auditors 30/2.
The wrangwis & maisterfull appropring of the samyn landis to himself 1484 Acts Lords of Council I. *85/2; 1488 Ib. 87/2. 1488 Acts Lords Auditors 117/2.
For the maisterfull out rivin, manurin, [etc.] … of a parte of his landis 1489 Lennox Mun. 130.
The trew barownis … be the masterfull and parciall menys of the said personis … ar disherist and distroyit 1495 Reg. Paisley 405. 1497 Criminal Trials I. i. 99. 1498 Acts Lords of Council II. 216; 1500 Ib. 454. 1501 Ib. MS. X. 127 b.
For the maisterfull taking of the keyis of the merchand buthe of the sade Elizabet 1504 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 49; 1507 Ib. 77. 1508–9 Stirling Chart. 74. 1513 Doug. vi. ix. 206.
All durst ymagyn … Mastirfull [E. maistirfull] wrang, myscheif or wykkytnes 1513 Ib. xi. vii. 106. 1516 Fam. Rose 190. 1518 Fife Sheriff Ct. 135. 1528 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) Scott v. Seytoun.
The wranguis and maisterfull manissing and bosting … of him 1533 Bell. Livy I. 226.
The faderis seand thame self victorius abone the pepil be this maisterful and wrangwus maner 1557 Digest Justiciary Proc. B. 140.
For the maisterfull reifing … of ane pock of schilling 1558 Criminal Trials I. ii. 403. 1565 Inverness Rec. I. 122.
The maisterfull dingyne and blude drawing of hyr hussye 1568 Grant Chart. 284.
The maisterfull and crewall slauchtir 1574 Reg. Privy C. II. 399. 1576 Ib. 486. 1587 Ib. IV. 162. 1624 Justiciary Cases I. 17. 1672 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 144.
The invading masterfull oppreseing and setteing upon his majesties free ledges 1673 Dunkeld Presb. I. 192. 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. xi. 13.
c. Of a storm: Violent, overwhelming. 1513 Doug. v. xiii. 57.
Thi self is witnes quhou … Sa masterful storm … Scho [Juno] rasit
2. Of persons: Powerful, mighty. a1500 Taill of Rauf Coilȝear 442.
I haue na myster to matche with maisterfull men 1525 Reg. Great S. 97/2.
Gif ony persone of the said craft purchessis ony outman or maisterfull man to be advocat agane … the craft a1538 Abell 113 b.
Maistirfull subditis ay resistit to him
3. Of a country: Strong, formidable, hard to conquer. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace iv. 159.
Thatland is strait, and maisterfull to wyn
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"Maisterful adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/maisterfull>
