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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scouring, vbl. n.¹ Also: scowr-, skour-, sk(o)wr-, skower(r)-, scur-, sqour-. [ME and e.m.E. scuring (Cursor M.), scourynge (1398); Scour v.¹]

I. l. The action of cleaning, or polishing, (an article) by rubbing. 1501 Edinb. Hammermen 39.
For scowring of the hers lamp candilstikkis & cappis & for vle dole to the sammyn 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II 13.
For skowring of the lectrone 1553–4 Ib. 25.
For skowring of the braissin wark afoir Youle 1554–5 Ib. 43.
For skowerring of the lettron and the freir Ib. 41.
Skowering 1633 Glasgow B. Rec. II 14.
Ten merk for skouring the lampis [of the church] this last yeir bypast 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 48.
[To the saddler] for … coatch scouring 1703 J.M. Thomson Public Rec. Scotl. (1922) 52.]
[For scouring 51 partizans

2. The action of cleansing fur, wool, cloth or hides with, or as with, some detergent. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 215.
For the werkmenschip and skowring of the purfele and sclewez of ane goune Ib. 217.
For skouring and werkmenschip of ane lyning of armyngis 1597 Old Dundee I 101.
That the skinners … daily poison and intoxicate with scouring of pellets, and with lime, the water 1608 Tailor's Acc. Bk. A 60.
Payit for lustring & scouring his silk schankis 1630 Glasgow Trades House 146.
For skouring of his clayths 1681 New Mills Manuf. lxxxvi.
The refuse and losse upon moateing and scouring of the Spanish wooll 1696 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 166.
For scuring 3 piece Arass hangins, £2 2 s.

3. The action of cleaning out the bore of a gun.attrib. In scouring wand, a ramrod fitted with, or to, a scourer, see Scourer n. 2. 1641 Glasgow Burgesses 104.
[John Burns, hammerman], … bestows four dayis wark frielie yeirlie … in skouring and dighting of the tounis muscattis 1681 Foulis Acc. Bk. 82.
For scouring a pair pistollsattrib. 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 357.
A scouring wand

4. The action of assaulting or beating (another). 1625 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 147.
To have trublit other in schutting & sqouring other … on the gait

II. 5. Chiefly pl. Some roughly finished stuff of inferior quality (see quot. 1580). b. ? A garment, or blanket, made from this. c. attrib., sing. and pl.Cf. later Sc. scourings = coal of poor quality (1808 in SND, s.v. Scour n.³ 6) and Aff-scouring n. 1580 Edinb. Test. VII 361.
Fiftie elnis of vnwalkit wovin claith callit skouringis price of the eln vj s. viij d. 1591 Crail B. Ct. MS 8 June.
Fywe single vlneis off skowringis for xvj s. the dowbill vlne 1598 Tailor's Acc. Bk. A 3b.
Scouringis to lyne this said wyllicot with 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 322.
In the said kist of quhyte scouringis 1617 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 24 Oct.
Four ellis of quhite skowringis callit plaiding 1621 Edinb. Test. LI 111b.
Ane peis ȝallow skouring and x elnis feilamort 1627 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I 170b.
Tua peices of skouring of twentie elne pryce of the elne x s 1631 Monteith Stewartry Ct. (6 May).
Skwringis 1637 Dundonald Par. Rec. 419. 1650 Stirling Ant. IV 159.
Barbara Drummond … [said] to have done sudden harme and thairafter sudden helpe with small meanes as ane little piece scourings dippit in washb. 1590 Edinb. Test. XXII 64b.
Scho leuis to auld Tibbie Mitchelhill … ane plaid & ane pair of skouringsc. 1581 Edinb. Test. IX 215.
Twa quhyt skouring plaidis extending to ten doubill elnis price of thame iij li. 1597 Ib. XXX 170.
Ane new quhyt skouring wyliecoit 1607 Ib. XLIII 46b.
Four pair of skouringis blankettis price thairof xxx s 1612 Brechin Test. II 244.
Quhyt scuringis pladdin