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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pele, Peill, n.¹ Also: pel, pell(e, peel(e; peil(e, peyl(l, peyel; paile. [ME. pel(e a stake (c 1303), a palisade (c 1330), a castle (Chaucer), late ME. (north.) peill (1483), e.m.E. piel (1573), AF. pel, piel(le, OF. pel, piel, med. L. pela, -um a stake, also a palisade (c 1300): cf. Pale n.¹ (and Peall n.).After the 14th c. appar. chiefly confined to use in Scotland and in the English border counties.]

1. a. Appar. orig. a defensive palisade or stockade, freq. one built around a castle or fortified towerhouse; hence also, the total defensive complex so constituted.Appar. the ‘peel’ or fence of stakes was originally an expedient to strengthen the defences of castles and to increase their accommodation. Contemporary (English) medieval Latin and Anglo-French sources (see, e.g., OED. s.v. Peel sb.¹ 2) give details of the construction of such palisades at Lochmaben (1298–9), Dumfries (1300), Linlithgow (1302) and Perth (1306). For further discussion see G. Neilson Peel: its Meaning and Derivation (1893), Sc. Hist. Rev. XXV. 46, Hawick Arch. Soc. (1912) 4–7, and M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. lxiii.

b. A fortified house or small defensive tower, ? orig. one surrounded by such a stockade or by a moated rampart. 1326 Exch. R. I. 53.]
[Expense … pro constructione vnius pele noue apud Tarbart(a) 1375 Barb. x. 137 (E).
At Lythkow wes than a pele Mekill and stark, and stuffyt wele With Inglis men Ib. 223.
Bonnok … Callit his wayne towart the pele … And thai … Lap owt … & tuk the castell all but payn Ib. 252.
Bonnok on this wis with his wayne The pele tuk and … the king … Gert dryve it doun to the ground c1420 Wynt. viii. 4007.
All worthyd Inglis men in that tyde Owttane foure castellis and a pelle [C. peyl, W. peill]; Thare namys sal I tell yow welle Ib. 2404.
Pelle 1429 Exch. R. IV. 495.
Et non onerat se de firmis terrarum … de Crakewilly, de le Pele [etc.] c1475 Wall. iv. 213.
On Gargownno was byggyt a small peill [: weill] … Within a dyk bathe clos chawmer and hall 1535 Acts II. 346/1.
Euery landit man … sall big ane … barmkyn … and … vthir landit men of smallar rent … big pelis and gret strenthis … for saifing of thare selfis, men, tennentis and gudis 1570 Leslie 144.
The king … proponit … to have ane taxacioune to big mare pellis(b) 1375 Barb. x. 147 (E).
Now may ȝe her … iuperdyis That men assayit … Castellis and peyllis for to ta c1475 Wall. ix. 1693. 1531 Yester Wr. 148.
Amwligin who fled to the peill pertaining to David Maxwell in Glenslen out of the quhilk peill John Greirsoune of Lag causit … to tak the said Patrik 1570 Leslie 126.
Ane cumpany of Scottis men raid in Ingland … and brint and spulyeit diverse tounis, keist doun sindrie peillis and returnit 1579 Reg. Privy C. III. 236.
For pulling doun of a peill of the said George Chaleris … and sta and awaytuke xl ky and oxin 1667 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 183.
The haill old timber that lyes within the north peill … the south peill under and above(c) 1596 Dalr. I. 98/10, 14.
Thair castelis and palices ar scheiphouses and luges, quhilkes thay commonlie cal pailes, of quhais burning thay ar nocht sair solist. Bot thay far starker do make four nuiked of earth only [L. Potentiores pyramidales turres, quas pailes vocant, ex sola terra] quhilke nathir can be burnte nor [etc.] … , thir ar thair pailes(d) 1632 Hawick Arch. Soc. (1912) 7.
Do not take away the battlement … for that is the grace of the house and makes it look lyke a castle … as the other would make it look lyke a peele

c. Stakes for building a palisade, collectively. — 1559 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 297.
The pattren of fowsis and dykis I have fondit and the causis quhy I have nocht cuttit tymmer for peyel therto I will nocht writ

d. In place names, in the formula peill of (A.), chiefly in sense b. a1384 Fordun (1871) 332.
Eoden anno [1301] municipium, scilicet Pel de Lithcu … constructum est 1479 Acta Conc. I. 44/2.
Anent the accioune … for the wrangwis spoliacioun of the peile of Belsyis … The said peile is biggit apon vthir land [etc.] 1512 Reg. Privy S. I. 370/1.
With the relefe, toure, peill and maner place of Levingstoun 1528 Ib. 577/1.
Ane respitt maid … for the … birnyng of the peile of Knokschenoch 1531 Bell. Boece II. 424.
Except v castellis allanerly … that is to say, the castel of Dunbriton [etc.] … and the peil of Lowdoun 1542–3 Reg. Privy S. III. 17/2.
The … v merk land of the peill of Thornetoun 1546–7 Reg. Cupar A. II. 234.
Athwart the west pairt of the bray of the pele of Lyndegawnis 1547 Prot. Bk. Sir Wm. Corbet 8. 1549 Prot. Bk. Sir J. Cristisone 101.
[The lands of Park of Clune], peill [or manor place of the same] 1564 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 475/2.
Cum turre lie peill de Levingstoun 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 593.
The hous and peill of Westhoussis … with the volt and barmkin thairof 1570 Leslie 23.
In the meane tyme … Archebald Douglas … brint the peill of Strathboggie a1578 Pitsc. I. 298 heading.
The seage of the peill of Linlythgow a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 58.
Nixt they brint the palice of Kynneill the houssis of Pardoven, Bynnie, Kyncavill and the peill of Levestoune 16.. Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III. 124.
The dike goes along west to the peel of Kirkintilloch where has been the special fort and castle of all with a great building and great foussees with rampires and all thir forts with the buildings

e. Comb. and attrib. in peill-hous (= b above) and peill-lands.(1) 1586 Reg. Privy C. IV. 106.
The said toun and landis of Reidhall, … with ane peill house, with byre, hall and berne 1596 Wamphray Baron Ct. 9 Oct.
The Laird of Vamfra had ane peilhous vpone the saidis landis a 1638 Orkney Misc. I. 52/2.]
[And they liude in h[ou]ses of fence which they call peele h[ou]ses(2) 1674 Kirkintilloch B. Ct. 59.
That no maner of persoune shall dight no maner of graine upoun the peill lands 1682 Ib. 121.
Peill lands

2. The Pele, also Pelis, (of Linlithqw), the enclosed park surrounding the castle or palace of Linlithgow.Perh. the sense has also been influenced by Pale n.¹ 1 and 2.Also attrib. with dike. 1453 Exch. R. V. 588.
Pro … custodia herbarum et prati de le pele de Lithqw 1534–5 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 129.
The entres of ane man to keip the peile and park 1561 Treas. Acc. XI. 58.
Pele 1583 Wemyss Corr. 81.
Gangand vpoun the peill of Lynlythkow thay begane to gather kempis [etc.] 1589 Exch. R. XXII. 25.
The fewmailis of the park and peil of Linlithquew 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 126.
For … bandis to the bak dore that gois to the peillplur. 1542–3 Reg. Privy S. III. 25/1.
Kepar … of the palice of Linlithqw with the park, loch and pelis of the sammyn 1543 Ib. 67/2. 1566–7 Spottiswoode Misc. I. 358.
Chargeand him … to plant and sett treis neidfull within the saidis peillis for decoiring thairof 1587 Ib. 364.
Nostrarum parcarum, nemorum … et lacus … lie parkis, pellis and loch Palacii nostri de Linlithgowattrib. 1505 Treas. Acc. III. 84.
To bigging of the peil dikis of Linlithqw 1629 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 269.
For biging and mending of the peill dyke, xl s.

3. Appar., a paling or fence surrounding a house, or the ground enclosed by this. = Pale n.¹ 2, Peall n. 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII. 84 b.
This wes done in the peill of hir duelling hous 1662 Melrose Reg. Rec. III. 64.
Ane hous … bounded as followes … the house lyand on the east syde of John Frater, elder, his peill [etc.]

4. A ‘pale’ in heraldry. = Pale n.¹ 4, Pal(le n. — 1494 Loutfut MS. 35 b (see Pal(le n.).
Pel