A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1597-1689
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Preoc(c)upy, -ie, v. [e.m.E. preoccupy, -ie to prepossess (1567), occupy beforehand (1622), anticipate (a 1677), etc., L. præoccupāre. Cf. F. préoccuper (14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).] tr. a. To take possession of (something) beforehand. b. To prepossess; to bias. c. To anticipate; to forestall. —a. 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Regrateris.
Forestallares are properlie they quha pre-occupies and byes merchandes before it cum to the mercatb. 1609 Reg. Privy C. VIII 222.
He knew perfytlie that they pre-occupyit the voitis and opinionis of the people to thair electioun 1689 Ib. 3 Ser. XIV 462.
Preocupiec. a1658 Durham Commandments (1675) 125.
The offence and mistake that Christ is to preoccupie and rectifie amongst his hearers, requireth this
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"Preocupy v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/preoccupy>
