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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Repref(e, -profe, -pruf(e, n. Also: ra- and -preif(f, -preife, -preef, -preff, -preve; -proffe, -prove, -prow; -pruff, -pruiff, -prwfe, -prwif, -pruv-; -proufe. [ME and e.m.E. repref (Manning), -preue (c1380), -preef (Wyclif), -priefe (c1510), also reprove (c1350), -profe (Rolle), -prof (a1400), north. ME also reprufe (once, c1400), AF repreove, OF reprove, -prouve (13th c. in Greimas), f. reprover Repreve v.]

1. Shame or disgrace brought upon, or reflected upon, a person in consequence of certain actions, events, etc.; public disgrace, ignominy.(1) 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 31.
Be the quhilkis efterwart repreff mycht fal to thaim c1490 Porteous Noblenes 173/17 (Asl.).
And preiudice schame & reprefe to his blude a1500 Quare Jel. 479.
Ony thing … That … may … do to hir or to hir fame reprefe 1513 Doug. vii iv 88.
Na mar lak to ȝour realm sall we be Nor na repreif [Sm. repruif, Ruddim. repruf] tharby to ȝour renowne c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 317/33.
For thoutht thow keip the law outwartly with warkes, for feare of repreiff, schamme, ande pwnyschment … yit [etc.] 1578–9 Reg. Privy C. III 66.
Under the pane of repreif(b) a1500 Sir Eger 1727.
It were too great reprove and shame To be discovered by my name(c) ?1438 Alex. i 2543.
Bot thay reprufe dred mair nor deid Ib. ii 4354.
Nane of vs sall vengance tak, Bot reprufe to our airis mak! c1420 Ratis R. 477.
Lyklynes Of yllis … berys lytill les Charg of repruf 1442 (1444) Reg. Great S. 64/1.
And till underly the charge of ath breking and perpetuale reprufe 1456 Hay I 86/13. Ib. II 45/19.
Na that he mycht have repruf na lak in his gude fame 1494 Loutfut MS 4b.
And in repruf & dishonour of him [etc.] Ib. 6b.
It suld be to the … dishonour of al gentilnes and vituper & repruf [Lindsay MS repreif] to baith the parteis 1513 Doug. vii iv 88 (Sm.) (see 1 above).
Repruif 1520 Grant Chart. 64.
Bot ony dirigacioun nor raprwif to ony of thir saidis parteis 15.. Clar. i 266.
My mynd I durst not schaw [ȝow] for repruife a1568 Scott xxx 23.
Thay sussy nocht … Thair fame, thair wirschep, nor reprufe Off honour, nor ocht ellis 1569 Reg. Privy C. II 56.
Under the pane of repruif, infamy and perjurie 1574 Ib. 368.
Under the pane of infamy, repruif, manswering and tinsall of perpetuall traist and credite c1575 Balfour Pract. 606.
That na persoun … declair ony sign or taikin of repruif or bauchling aganis ony subject of the opposite realme unles [etc.] 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii 50.
The said lord … being … convict, he sall be deprived of his office … and sall incurre sic repruif as effeiris(2) a1568 Scott xxix 20.
Thair hairtis ar sett … ȝow to dissaif with dowbilnes, To ȝour schame and reprufe 1600-1610 Melvill 204.
To your grait repruff, I man call to mynd [etc.]

b. A shame or disgrace to (of) a profession, class or the like. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 130.
Schaw thy endite, reprufe of rethoryis

2. Cause for censure or blame; fault.(a) 1375 Barb. iv 581 (C) (see (c) below).
Repreif c1490 Porteous Noblenes 184/13 (Asl.).
And that is attoure mesour repref & schame 1513 Doug. i Prol. 429.
Gif that thar command maid hym maynsworn, That war repreif to thar diuinyte(b) 1375 Barb. viii 260.
We sall sa do That na reprow [C. repruf] sall fall thar to(c) 1375 Barb. iv 581.
And said he suld do sa wisely That na repruff [C. repreif] suld efter ly a1400 Leg. S. x 367.
Matrimone he can commend … Gyf that it will anowrnyt be … & but reprufe kepit alsa 1456 Hay II 96/24.
Thair plesauncis quhilkis ar leffull and but repruf a1500 Henr. Annunc. 11.
Gabriell … said … In thé he will tak rest and rufe, But hurt of syn, or ȝit reprufe 1567 G. Ball. 31.
Do gude for euill, and leid ȝour lyfe Without reprufe

3. Censure, rebuke, reprehension.(a) a1500 Lanc. 763.
He dred the reprefe of his cumpany c1475 Wall. v 975.
Pardown he ast off the repreiff befor In to the chas a1500 Quare Jel. 317 heading.
Here efter folowis The Trety in the Reprefe of Jelousye a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 222 (Arund.).
Throu reuthfull repreif [Asl. raprys] Off his pepill 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 990.
Out on sic gram! I will haue na repreif Id. Æn. xiii Prol. 125. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke vi 22.
Ye salbe blessit quhen men sal hate you … and put repreef to you 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece I lv.
I suppone that the thing that I say … be nocht takin in repreif of every man 1535 Stewart 50770.
Ane legat … suddantlie he send, With greit repreif and litill recommend 1549 Compl. 122/22.
Resaif thy repreif inpaciens for ane correctione and nocht for ane inuectyf dispyit 1561 Carte Northberwic 80.
That it suld be all reddy forgeving by hym nor never reproche repreiff nor in ony vord takkit to hyr of the samyn 1562-3 Winȝet I 123/3.
Quhy permitt ȝe but repreif the nobilis … to haif images … of beistis … in thair armis? c1530-40 Stewart Maitl. F. 354/52.
And the foule seid that men callis symonye Man planelie be depryuit with repreiff 1596 Dalr. I 238/21.
Pape Honorie, throuch scharpe writeings, accuised his wickednes with a sour repreife(b) c1420 Wynt. vi 1791.
He lete nowcht slay thame in Ingland For till eschewe reproffe [C. repruff] and blame(c) ?1438 Alex. ii 2118.
Throw ȝour counsell gif I it do, Thare bird na reprufe follow thairto c1420 Wynt. vi 1789 (C) (see (b) above).
Repruff c1490 Irland Asl. MS 36/6.
Thocht he quhilis repruf hire geve she trastis that … he be content 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4155.
Than gif ȝe chaip but reprufe or smyting, Lufe quhome ȝe pleis 1593 Crim. Trials I ii 288.
Vnder the paine of his hienes repruif and indignatioun 1622-6 Bisset II 385/29.
These twa … teiched liberall sciences all thair dais without reproche or repruif 1636 Aberd. B. Rec. III 97.
Be reasone of his gude lyff and … bypast careage without scandall or repruiff

b. A rebuke or reprimand. 1513 Doug. i Prol. 446. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1705 heading (see Reproch(e n. 4).
Me behufis Excus Chauser fra all maner repruffis [Ruddim. repruuis] 1635 Hist. Fragm. III 2.
I saue the Covenant itself lookt one as ane old Almanacke for so it was called in the House of Commons, and without a reproffe

4. Insulting or abusive language spoken by one person to another, or between two persons.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1349 (C).
Agayne Agamenone … Thelamonyus … Put furth gret repreve in spekyng [L. Multa verborum diffundit opprobria] ?1438 Alex. ii 1395.
All this repreif and this hething Cassamus hard a1497, 15.. Gray MS iv 77.
I sufferit for thi synnis repreif, And dulfull deid thi saule to es(b) 1596 Dalr. II 284/9.
Lenox selfe thay cast doune to the Inglis schipis farr of with gret reprofe(c) a1500 Bernardus 207.
For oftersys reprwfe and welany And ewyle consele folowis mare sodanly Than doys loffyng or comendacione Of trew consel a1538 Abell 95b.
Eftir the batell beside Dunypais Brus & Walles met & eftir reprufe thai maid confideratioun

5. The condition of being under censure or of being scorned.(a) c1490 Porteous Noblenes 178/26 (Asl.).
Ane man hatit liffis allway in gret repref(b) a1538 Abell 37b.
[He] slew his self wnhappelie at he suld nocht be langar in reprufe to the Romanis 15.. Clar. i 295.
I will … have ȝow in moir haitret and reproufe Nor of befor I had ȝow into luife