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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.

Quhit(e)-werk, n. Also quhyt(e)- whyt-, quhyit-, quhyet-; quheit- and -wark, -work, -vork. [Quhite adj. 1 and werk. Cf. e.m.E. white-work ? wicker- or basket-work (1664), mod. Eng. dial. white works tin streamings, med. L. opus album silver-making (c 1320).] a. Tinned iron or tin-plate. Cf. Quhit(e) irne(e n. b. Silver-work or silver-ware. Cf. Quhit(e) silver n. c. Appar., a type of embroidery or ornamental stitching, with silver or white thread.a. 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 107.
For xvi gemma bandis of quhite werk … to the tua grete wyndois Ib. 110.
For vi pair of gemma bandis with ringis roissis and sneikkis quhite werk 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II 350.
Bands of quhit wark with thair nallis 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I 471.
iij pair of gemmitt bands, quhyte werk 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 64a.
For xxvi stane quhit wark —attrib. 1621 J. Bell Acc. Bk. in Glasg. Her. (1864) 25 June.
135½ q[uhi]t work kettills at £9. 16 s. 8 d.the c., is £13. 10 s. 10 d.b. 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 72.
Quhyt werk: … ane greit bassing … xxxi silver plait … xxxv coverris … tuelf trunscheouris [etc.] Ib. 73. 1543 Ib. 113.
Quheit werk of silver: … ane litle barrell of silver [etc.] 1568 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 644/1.
Ane dowbill chaffar couerit of quhyit wark vngilt 1661 Edinb. Test. LXX 17b.
Four pund wecht of gilt silver work & whyt work at iij lib. scottes money the vncec. 1575 Edinb. Test. III 365.
Thrie collaris quhite thread & quhite wark price ix frankis 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 215.
Four Inglis sarkes with blak werk. Ane Inglis sark of quheit werk 1595 Edinb. Test. XXIX 83.
Scho leuis to … hir dochter ane pair of heid scheittis of blakwork … ane vther pair of heid scheittis of quhit work 1596 Fraser P. 230.
Tua sewit towellis of lynning ane thairof with silk & the uther with quhyt wark 1611 McKay Kilmarnock 308.
Twa pair of heid scheittis of small lynyng schewit with quhyet vork and perling