Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Pol(l)ute, v. P.t. and p.p. also pollute, polluat; polutted. [e.m.E. and ME polute (Wyclif), -ewt (c 1400), pollute (a 1548), L. pollūt-, p.p. stem of polluere defile, soil.] tr. To pollute.

1. To render spiritually unclean, to defile or desecrate ceremonially, to desecrate or to corrupt morally or spiritually.pres. a1561 Norvell Meroure 11 b.
To poysone Adames nature … With thy corrupt cankre, thou can attones Pollute his harte and gnawe his fleshe & bones 1596 Dalr. II 382/16.
To … diminise the authoritie of the kirk, pollute and fyl the sacramnentisp.t. a1538 Abell 102 a.
Thai prophanit it & polluat be lichory & othir wnhonest werkisp.p. (a) 1513 Doug. ii iii 45.
The haly ymage [sc. the Palladium] … Pollute and fylit 1513 Ib. vi xiv 86.
And the tempill of Mynerve pollute clenge 1533 Boece 290.
Sum of thame pollute to the pelagiane heresy held strange opiniouns(b) 1533 Bell. Livy II 227/9.
That the templis … quhilkis war pollutit & violet be inemyis, suld be recounseld, … & purifyt 1562-3 Winȝet I 12/12.
To the end that thy maiestie be neuir thairwith [sc. with avarice] pollutit 1562-3 Ib. 83/19.
Pollutit with the saidis filthy wices 1562-3 Ib. II 5/27.
For His awin names saik, quhilk, throw the trible of the catholikis … is pollutit amangis our aduersaris 1585-1586 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 441.
Quhilk na man … quha hes not bene polluted with that pick can … allow 1592 Acts III 544/1.
The hous of the Lord … is … filthely pollutit 1638 Wemyss in Sc. Diaries 122.
William Lade … did divisse … ane … service buok … so filthy polutted with the treue rittes and radgs of Rome that [etc.]

2. To befoul or taint physically, to soil, to dirty. 1608 Irvine Mun. II 45.
Sic personis … as polutis and defylis the watter of Clyde with … filth