Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Striking, Stryking, Straiking, Streking, vbl. n. Also: strikin, -yn, strikkin(g, strykin, strykeing, strykne, strykkin(g, -yn, strickin(g, -eing, strycking, straking, -eing, stracking, straicking, strekin, -eyne, strekkin, streiking, strekyne, streeking, strecking, struiking, strickening. [Late ME and e.m.E. strikyng (c1400), strykyng (1530), striking(e (1541); Strik(e v.] The action of Strik(e v. in various senses.

1. Hitting, dealing blows (at a person) (with the hands, an implement or a weapon).(1) ?1438 Alex. i 1170.
His fais sall nocht hald him that day For child at striking, gif he may! 14.. Acts I 301/3.
Item strikyn without blud drawyn x penijs a1500 Rauf C. 745.
Him semis ane stalwart man and stout in stryking 1671 Melrose Reg. Rec. III 80.
[A fine of 50 l. Scots imposed for] strykeing and blooding(b) 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Melletum.
Placitum de melletis, is called the mute, or pley of beating or stricking 1639 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 260.
Strycking(c) 1643 Justiciary Cases III 579.
Percutioun or straking hes nevir bene use to be persewit criminallie befoir this persute, and albeit it mycht be verifeit that he gave him ane straik quhilk is percussioun, thair can nathing follow thairupoun(2) 1553 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 7 Oct.
He wald haif bene in strykin sum of thame with wapons(b) 1558 Digest Justiciary Proc. B 151.
Cautioun to enter ane man for straiking ane woman with child caussing hir pairt with child 1599 Aberd. B. Rec. II 183.
For … stricking the said Mr Robert in the breist with his neff 1638 Sharpe Witchcraft 110.
By straiking him throw the temples with a whinger(c) 1608 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 61.
In tacking his hatt aff his heid, and stricking him on the face thairwith 1663 Forbes Baron Ct. 235.
Strickeing(d) 1613 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 112.
To have filthylie abused … his servand be … streking her with ane ledron belt(e) 1653 Glasgow B. Rec. II 259.
Strecking(3) 1476 Acta Aud. 41/1.
Anent … brekang of borrous of peax streking and hurting of his servandis [etc.] 1478 Acta Conc. I 16/1.
The contempcioun done to the king … in the strikin and dinging of the said Robert 1502–3 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 127.
Strykkyn 1513 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 22.
James Muthag [was] in wrang for the stryking of Woll Persoun … with his wand in the face 1526 Wigtown B. Ct. 179b.
Strykyne 1532–3 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 91.
Strekyne 1535 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 124.
Strekeyne 1542 Elgin Rec. I 71.
The masterfull streking of Ellene Murray with ane tanggis on the gardes 1564 Crim. Trials I i 455.
And stryking of thair seruandis, being nakit, with brydillis and swerd beltis 1575 Glasgow B. Rec. I 37.
For … stryking of him on the haffet with his neifis 1575–6 Glasgow B. Rec. (MC) 36.
In stryking of him with ane Irland knyfe in throw the cloik 1580 St. A. Kirk S. 447.
Jaimes Lerman … acusat be the sessioun for streking and misusing off his wyffe 1588–9 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 536.
Strikking 1606 Inverness Rec. II 39.
Strickin 1612 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. 33.
Strykeing 1616 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 150.
Convict … for the abusing of Francis Hay … and streking him with ane golff clube 1656 Rothesay B. Rec. 262.
Stracking 1657 Rothesay B. Rec. 14.
Straicking(4) 1563–4 Inverness Rec. I 111.
[Three men] fundin in the wrang for … cruwellie streking at James Duff … and misfiguring of his face 1640 Aberd. B. Rec. III 244.
Convict for drawing a durk … and stricking at him thairwith

b. An instance of hitting, a blow. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke xii 47.
That ilk seruand, that knew the will of his lorde, and made nocht him reddy … salbe strikin with mony strikingis

c. Of a person, also, a horse: Kicking. 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III 209.
Item, for ane tramtranet for hors to keip thaim fra struiking 1629 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 392.
The stryking of Helein Hendersone with … his feit vpon the lisk

2. a. Coining, minting (of money). b. Impressing (a device) (on something).a. 1467 Acts II 88/2.
The quhyt Scottis penny and half penny to haif cours as thaj war wont to haue and the striking of the blak pennyis to be cessyt 1507 Reg. Privy S. I 209/1.
Sen thair entre to the cunȝe and streking thairof 1546 Reg. Privy S. III 299/1.
Throw the said umquhile Walteris forgeing, prenting and stryking of fals money 1584 Crim. Trials I ii 134.
Fylis the said Patrik M^cKe of … forgeing, feinȝeing, counterfuting [pr. counferfuting] and straking of certane fals … money, sic as … half-markis, [etc.] 1590 St. A. Kirk S. 672.
Hes maid the ironis for streking of the takynnis to the communiounb. 1532 Edinb. Hammermen 1 (see Strik(e v. 13 e).

3. Piercing (with a knife, etc.). 1514 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 151.
The said Thomas … nocht to cum thairin vnder the payne of strekking throw the hand and banesing of the towne

b. Severing, cutting away (a part of the body). 1592 Reg. Privy C. V 12.
Thay … hes maid him impotent thairof be strykeing away the knap of his elbok

4. Beating (a drum). 1561 Mill Mediæv. Plays 221.
Ane proclamatioun … dischargeing all sic conventionis … wappinnis, striking of suesche, sounding of trumpet [etc.] 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 33.
That thai [sc. the lords] might haue power for streking the drum for gathering of men of warre 1580 Perth Kirk S. in Chron. Perth 53. 1615 Crim. Trials III 276.
With sounding of trumpettis, streking of drumis, schuiting of muscatis in signe of triumph and victorie 1616–17 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 12.
Geven to Thomas Shaw … for straking the drum vi s.

5. Of a clock: Striking (of the hours). 1561 (c1650) Dundee B. Laws 24.
That certification sall procied agains all parties defendaris not comperand immediatly after the strikin of xi houres 1586 Prot. Bk. J. Robertsone 34b.
Eftir the reiding of the said prayaris to wit immediatle eftir the streking of five houres eftir noone 1619 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 196.
Thai answer ane to ane uther in streking of the hour

6. Hitting, cutting, aiming a blow (at an object) (with an implement or tool). 1612–13 Misc. Spald. C. V 89.
Convict for setting ane goiff ball in the kirk yeard, and striking the same against the kirk 1615 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bks. 95.
They … maist wrangouslie debarrit the said persewar, his tenentis and servandis … frome pasturing of thair guidis and stryking of thak as they have bein in use and custome to do thairupoun 1641 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I xxxi.
This way of coinage by the mylne press and swey is a great deall … more expensive then the vther by forgeing and striking with the hamer 1677 Banff Ann. I 157.
Robert Michell … to pay £10 … for stricking at the croce with ane drawin suordproverb. 1719 Life and Death of Sharp (1719) 96.
Alledging that it was good stricking the iron when it was hot

b. Penetrating (water) with a rod, net or other fishing gear. 1658 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 186.
[The defender … ] did severall tymes strake the said watter and did catch furth therof … the number of tuo fisches … [Defender denies] strakeing of the watter

7. Without adverb. complement: Removing; demolishing. Cf. 13 a, b, and 14 b below. 1583 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 186.
The werk beand endit gevin to the werkmen for strykking of the skaffald down takking of the haill tymmer [etc.] 1684-9 Glamis Bk. Record 35.
The hall was a vault out of quhich since by the stricking thereof I have gained the rowmes immediatly now above it

8. a. Afflicting (with a disease). (Strik(e v. 10.) b. Making (a person) blind. (Strik(e v. 18.)a. 1591 Crim. Trials I ii 249.
The bewiching of Michell Marioribankis, be strykeing of him be wichcraft with ane extraordinar diseisb. 1605 Crim. Trials II 478.
And siclyk, for laying on of sorcerie and inchantment and devillery vpone Jonet Lowrie, the streking of hir blind

9. Stroking, smoothing. (? Cf. Strik(e v. 29.) 1623 Crim. Trials III 556.
For cureing be devillerie and witchcraft of Williame Kirkis bairne … be straiking bak the hair of his heid [etc.] 1629 Justiciary Cases I 109.
Ane taikin of nychtbourlie kyndnes in taking the bairne upone the pannellis knie and straiking of hir heid

10. Lowering sails. 1627 Aberd. Univ. Rev. XXXVI 127.
[That when Scots and English ships had been employed together in operations against the Spaniards in 1627 there had been nothing laid down in the orders issued relating] to streeking, salutation or any thing of that sort

11. Rapping, knocking. 1630 Justiciary Cases I 145.
Be streking … thryse upone the ground the devill was in use sumtymes to appeir to the said Alexander 1642 Dundonald Par. Rec. 505.
David Wallace … and John Conynghame … was overtane with drink and miscaried themselfs by streking at doors

12. Of a vessel: Running aground. c1650 Spalding I 82.
Thir schippis wes miserablie bladit with lekis by striking on the sandis

13. Striking out (furth). a. Making an opening (in a wall) for (a door, window, etc.) b. Knocking out, removing with a blow.a. 1558 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 354.
To tua masonis … at the biggin of ane parpell wall and strykin ut of ane vindo in the place of Dunkeld 1597 Aberd. B. Rec. II 160.
The wrangous stricking out and bigging of ane backyett … quhair never na backyett was biggit obefoir 1627 Mylne Master Masons 77.
For bigging up some bakes of chimleyis and stricking out sum hoillis for the timber hous 1642 Kinghorn Kirk S. 43.
A more commodious entrie … might be [had] … be stricking out a doore on some convenient part of the wall of that yle 1654 Lanark B. Rec. 153.
Strycking out of ane oe in his back wall 1693 Foulis Acc. Bk. 153.
For … strycking out a door … twixt my 2 lodgings — 1611 Glasgow Merchants House 108.
John Craig hes done na wrang in making and strycking furth the said jawhoill vpon the back wall of his said tenementb. 1499 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 75.
Vnder the payne of strikkin furth of the heid of the barrell and deilling of the beir 1520 (c1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 197.
That na maner tavernar tap nor sell ony … wyne … darrar na for vj d. the pynt, vnder the pane of stryking furth of the puntioun heid — 1544 Aberd. B. Rec. I 210.
Vnder the panis of … viij s. and daling of thair aill, and striking out of thair caddioum bodoum for the third falt 1555 Peebles B. Rec. I 218.
Vnder the pane of viij s. the first falt, deling of the aill the secund falt, and stryking furth of the ers fut the thrid falt and depriving of brewing for ane yere

14. Striking throu, up. a. Excavating, digging out (a path or space in a mine). b. Opening or breaking down by force. c. Breaking into (a container). d. Breaking open (a sealed letter). e. transf. Obtaining (the contents of a container) by breaking it open.a. 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 5b.
For straiking throu & redding ane gaitt 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 5b.
For straiking vp ane new roumb. 1543 Blackfriars Perth 230.
The wranguouslie violent and maisterfull streiking up … of our said oratouris fore yett 1587 Misc. Spald. C. II 58. 1622 Elgin Rec. II 174.
For striking wp his lokis stealling his keyis, and took avay drink and bread 1648 Inverness Rec. II 197.
Williame in end maid his escaipe and brak waird by stricking wp of the lofting of the inner counsell housc. 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V 164.
Williame Logane … beand chairget … for strekking up of an almery … and takand furth thairof certane money 1603 Crim. Trials II 411.
Dilatit for … streking vp of kistis and taking furth thairof certane abuilȝementis 1632 Dumbarton B. Rec. 37.
Robert Tailyear to be wardit in the tolbuith 24 hors … for striking up a barrel of beif thay wer bringing fra Glasgowd. 1629 Aberd. Council Lett. I 302.
Causing him send him his comptis … weill verefied … And in desisting fra stryking up of merchands letterse. 1624 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 157.
Item to ane couper for stricking up of some powder

15. Striking together: a. Clasping, gripping (hands) (as a token of sealing a bargain). b. Gnashing (of teeth).a. 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 31.
Cunand is said fra to gidder striking of handis for in aulde tym quhen cunand was mad thai hankit alwais thar handis to gidder to strik in festynyng … of thar connandis 1533 Boece 150.
That the fidelite promist be straking of handis in presens of immortale goddis suld euer inviolate remaneb. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xiii 42.
And thai sal send tham into the chymnay of fire: thar salbe weping and striking togiddir of teeth