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: 1473-1700+
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Much, n. Also: mucht, mwcht, moch, mouch; mutch(e), mwtch, mutsch. [MDu. mutse, mutsche, muts, MLG. mutze, musse, EFris. mütse, müts. In the mod. dial. (chiefly in sense b) Sc. and north. Eng.]
A kind of hood or coif, chiefly of linen or similar fabrics. Also comb.As worn by men chiefly or only as a night-cap or hair-covering for the night: see also Nicht-much n.Presum. (see Kell n.1 2) it was tied with ribbons or laces Under the chin.Also bonnet- [see also Bonet mutch n.], double much [see also Double a. 3 (2)], hair- and under-much.(a) 1473 Treasurer's Accounts I. 39.
To my lorde prince … v elne of Holland claith for sarkis and muchis 1474 Ib. 27.
Hollande clath for mwchis to the King 1503 Ib. II. 211.
For thre muches brocht hame be him to the King 1530 Balmerino and L. Chart. ii. 30. 1540 Treasurer's Accounts VII. 320.
To be his grace mochis 1549 Ib. IX. 363.
To … hollande claith to line his graces mouchis 1571 Canongate Ct. Bk. 339.
Ane schewit much 1578 Edinburgh Testaments VI. 331.
Ane dosane of barnes muches ? 1589 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 38 b.
Ane dosone bonet moches 1591 Criminal Trials I. ii. 253.
Ane pictour of clay … about the quhilk wes ane auld blak much woimplit 1600 Treasurer's Accounts MS. 115.
Fyne cambrige to be muches … rounder cambrige to be vnder muches … small linning to be dowbill muches 1604 Tailor's Acc. Bk. A. 31.
Ane camrage much to the nycht bonnett(b) 1581 Burne Disput. 175 b.
The naipkinnis and mutschis of Paul 1586 Treasurer's Accounts MS. 126.
To be mutches and naipkynnis to his maiestie … small holand clayth 1602 Ib. 205.
Heich peirling to his mutchis 1613 Edinburgh Testaments XLVII. 225 b.
Tua sewit periweik mutchis for men at iij lib. the peice 1613 Ib. 359 b.
Sevin littit threid quaifis callit mutches for bairnes 1623 Peebles Gleanings 16.
Bonnet, nicht bonnet, mutche, naipkyn, and doublet 1628 Edinburgh Testaments LIV. 317.
Thrie dosone & four laid warke mutches 1635 Black Bk. Taymouth xxii.
Half ane ell of cramosie velvott to be him ane bannet mutch c1650 Spalding II. 388.
He [Haddoche, about to be beheaded] had on his heid ane white perllit mvtche 1655 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 979.
For the pryce of ane silk mutch 1655 Edinburgh Testaments LXVIII. 116.
Ane hair mutch with ffour demie black hattes 1685 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries LVIII. 356.
A stamped calligoe pock therein is a mutch of the same that the night goun is of 1685 Ib. 359.
A laced gravat: a laced mutch 1721 Life and Trials of William Sutherland (1721) 9.
[They] took me and the stocks outby, likewise they brought a mutch to put on my headcomb. 1583 Edinburgh Testaments XII. 313.
Fyve vnlynit blak bonnettis price of the pece xxiij s. tua reid mutche bonettis price of the pece xijs. 1613 Ib. XLVII. 269 b.
Ane water claytht and tua mutch claithis price thairof iij lib.
b. As worn by women, also as a day-time headcovering. 1597 Criminal Trials II. 26.
[She] tuke aff hir [sc. the sick woman's] sark that was than upoun hir and hir mutche 1604 Dundonald Par. Rec. 57.
He causit hir to tak hir much and put it … vpoun ane bus in the yaird in the nicht … gif the much ver gray on the morn scho vald mend 1609 Perth Kirk S. (1847) 248.]
[David Jackson having a mutch Upon his head and (dressed in) a woman's gown 1631 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. IV. 246.
[She] rave the haire out of her head [and] brunt the same with her kerches and mutches in the fire 1645 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXX. 149.
Tuo elne of small lining … to be Georg bands and Jeane ane craig naipkine and day muchis 1690 Foulis Acc. Bk. 120.
To my wife to buy a steicht mucht
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"Much n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 4 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/much_n>


