A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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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.
Quotation dates: 1420, 1513-1535, 1605-1683
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Revery, n. Also: rew-, reav- and -erry, -eary, -eray. [ME and e.m.E. reuerye a state of delight, wildness (Chaucer), violent language (c1400), OF reverie rejoicing, wantonness, rage (13th c. in Larousse), f. rever to revel, act or speak wildly. In 17th c. Eng. use (1653-) ‘readopted from the later F. forms resverie, rêverie’ (OED). Cf. Rav(e)ry n.]
1. Wildness; ‘enthusiasm’; wild or uncontrolled behaviour; wantonness. b. An instance of this. c1420 Wynt. iv 878.
For … revery rewys thare resowne 1535 Stewart 31279.
Into Scotland thair wes richt mony lordis, ȝoung and wantoun, and full of reueryb. c1420 Wynt. v 4863.
In fretys and reverys [C. reuerrysse] Makand to develys offt sacrifyis c1420 Ib. 4876.
To thir thai … tynt thaire sawlys in swylk reverys [C. rewerysse]
2. Noise, din. 1513 Doug. x vii 117.
The low … Blesand and crakand with a nyce reuery 1513 Ib. xi xiii 32.
The wemen rowtis baldly to the assay, With felloun bruyt, gret revery [Sm. reveray], and deray
3. A fantastic or fanciful notion; (a) fantasy. 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 395.
My heart is full of reveries 1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 444.
Their foolish pedegrie … with such other fabulous and forged reavearies, unworthie to be mentioned by any that … doth favour the truth 1630 Ib. 435.
Revearies 1683 Fountainhall Decis. I 245.
Which improbable things made some call it revery and others, a politick design
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"Revery n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/revery>
