A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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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.
Quotation dates: 1456-1490
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Pense(e, Pensy, n. [Late ME. penci (c 1410), e.m.E. pensee (Caxton), a thought or fancy, anxiety, OF. pensee (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.: cf. Pensé,n.). Appar. obs. in Eng. after c 1477.] Deep or anxious thought, meditation, brooding. — 1456 Hay II. 96/32.
And namely quhen he war in grete penseis of thouchtis and of cogitaciounis displesant c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 8846.
Than Cassamus … Saw that he was in a study musand And for to put him out of his pensee Say ‘Tak [etc.]’ 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 353.
Thocht pensy and consideracioun is the thing that pertenis maist to a prince 1490 Ib.
He was in profound pensy & meditacioun
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"Pense n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/pensee>
