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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
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Succour, Succours, Secours, n. Also: succoure, -ur(e, sucour, -ur, sucker, socour(e, (surcour), succourse, succouris, -ys, succors, succurs(e, succurris, sukouris, socours, socouris, soucours, secourse, secouris, securis. [ME and e.m.E. sucurs (a1225), socur (c1290), succur (Cursor M.), socour (c1315), socoures (c1325), socourse (Chaucer), socours (c1460), sucour (1523), souccoures (1548), succoure (1551), succour (Shakespeare), succors (1605), OF socors, secors (c1050 and late 12th c. in Larousse), L. succursum, supine of succurrere. The final -s came to be construed as a plural giving rise to a new singular form.]

1. Aid, help, assistance.There is some ambiguity and overlap between this sense and 2 below.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 156.
Quhene that schort tym wes gan & succure thai saw apere nane ?1438 Alex. ii 120.
Quhidder thow will haue land or fe, Or succour of my men and me a1500 Henr. Fab. 1525 (Bann.).
Voluand about with hiddous rowmissing, Quhyle to, quhyle fro, gif he mycht succour get a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1231 (Asl.).
That sowpit sadnes & sorow but succour Suld ws repres fra all aduersite a1497, 15.. Gray MS v 15.
Baith kyng & knicht … monn … be fulfane to seke succour At miserere mei Deus c1520-c1535 Nisbet Prol. Rom. 344/10.
He … disired succur and ayde of thaim for the puir sanctis of Jerusalem c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2409.
Of fulysche folke, quhy haif ȝe succour socht Off thame quhilk can nocht help ȝow in distres? a1570-86 Maitl. F. 209/68.
Do iustice … to ryche and pure That dois for succour on thé schout 1596 Dalr. I 199/7.
To … craue the succour … of God and man against the Romane vntrue tyrannie(b) ?1438 Alex. ii 533.
Lytill succouris Can I se, for all is at rebours 14.. Burgh Laws Index (A).
Of socours of the fader to the sone 1513 Doug. vi ii 25.
Quhen thou art thar, … Of succurs and of help al desolate 1533 Boece 438.
Quhen euer his cuntre was indigent of succours he mycht schaw his vassalage to debell the tyran 1533 Bell. Livy I 72/24.
And [they] als traistit na succours nor medicyne to cum to thare infirme and wery bodyis 1568 Anderson Collect. Mary IV 122.
Ony King or Quene cumand fort of thair awin cuntre to seik succurris at ane uther prence 1568 Cal. Sc. P. II 452.
Soucours 1558-66 Knox II 60.
The watche was negligentlie keipit, and so was the succourse slow, and lang in cuming(c) 1456 Hay II 159/22.
I anourne, and of him thinkis till have socour and frendschep to me and my frendis c1475 Wall. ii 126.
Atour the dike thai ȝeid on athir side, Schott doun the wall; no socour was that tyde(d) 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. Pray. 19.
Grant me … that … I be recommendit … to the secours of hir halie prayers 1618 Lithgow Poet. Remains 35.
Thou bound to them, they finde in the secourse(2) a1400 Leg. S. xviii 691.
Sum comfort tuk myn harte sone, Haffand gud hope in hyr succure 1460 Hay Alex. 2102.
His mother haid drawin hir till a tour Within ane pallace abydand his succour c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxii 30.
Ever quhen I think ȝow harde or dour, Or mercyles in my succour(b) ?1438 Alex. i 2211.
Qvhen thai of Grece … saw thare succouris was sa neir ?1438 Alex. ii 553.
That thay that cumis in our succouris Sall say that I lufe parramouris c1420 Wynt. iv 1606.
All thaire senatowrys That chosyn wes to thare succowrys 1533 Bell. Livy II 306 (B.M.).
The Romans knew vele thai war freyndis cumin to thair succurs 1558-66 Knox I 461.
Many honest men … perceaving the danger of thair fallowis, isshed out for thair succurse c1615 Chron. Kings 29.
Sukouris(c) 1456 Hay I 136/34.
And curtaisly, but ony request, cummys to his socours, and till his help(d) 1640 Baillie I 257.
They were like to be beaten, had not our Generall come up with six troupes for their secourse 1640 Lithgow Poet. Remains 206.
Our endlesse doome; eternall his secourse(3) 1375 Barb. xvii 388.
And quhar men pressit mast, he maid Succoure till his that myster had ?1438 Alex. i 218.
Gif God sum succour to vs sent! c1450-2 Howlat 745 (A).
Send sum succour dovne sone to the synnere 1460 Hay Alex. 3120.
We ar sicker that succour sall be send a1500 Bk. Chess 844.
Sum grace of helpe & succour him to send c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxx 30.
Ws succour send, that wair the croun of thorne c1500-c1512 Dunb. (STS) lxxxvi 29.
At hellis ȝettis he gaf hyme na succour a1550 Ave Gloriosa 27.
To synnaris send succour 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8277.
The greit God … Into my neid hes send me succour sone a1568 Bann. MS 228b/3.
Sen thair is nan may schaw no succour To my pur hairt 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 20a.
God me defende … Out of this warld quhen that I wende Sum succour to my saull to sende(b) 1375 Barb. i 328.
Till god sum succouris till him send ?1438 Alex. ii 2236.
Sa lufe mak me succouris [: amours] 1533 Boece 181.
Persaving his folkis behuffit owder fle or be slane and he mycht mak na succours(c) a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxx 139.
His clemence will nocht quyt Sic sobirnis with sic seueritie Bot send ȝowe schortlie securis [Maitl. Q. secours] in ȝour syt, Pace [etc.] 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 471.
Our mercifull king … gaue secourse to thousands of your ship-wracked people for many moneths(4) c1450-2 Howlat 853 (A).
Thir lordis … He besocht of sucour 1513 Doug. iii ii 156.
Apolloys answer [to] speir, Besekyng hym of succurs ws to leir, Quhat end ontil our irksum panys he sendis 1513 Doug. iii x 22.
We … within burd hes brocht That faithful Greik quhilk ws of succurs socht 1513 Doug. viii iii 54 (Ruddim.).
Vnto the King Euander al seik we, Him to require of succoure and supple

b. To put or fix (one's) succour in (something), to rely on (something) for help. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 54.
Cursit … is that man quhilk … puttis his hail defence, and principal succure in tyme of neid in ony flesche (that is to say) in mortal men a1578 Pitsc. (1814) xxiv.
Thair tounes … ar vnwalled, which is to be ascryved to thair animositie and hardines, fixing all thair succouris and help in the valiencie of thair bodies

c. Passing into: Cure, remedy (for sickness, etc.). a1500 Henr. Fab. 1397 (Bann.).
Swa rowstit is the warld with kanker blak, That my taillis may littill succour mak a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 376.
For he knew weill that thair was na succour To hir seiknes

2. Military assistance; reinforcements.(a) ?1438 Alex. i 436.
Qvhan that the duke sawe his trauaill To get succour micht nocht availl ?1438 Alex. ii 655.
To-morne cumis vs succour planere, … Alexander and his cumpany(b) 1375 Barb. xix 645.
In thar countre her ar we, Quhar thar may cum ws na succourys [: rescours] ?1438 Alex. i 559.
Gif that succouris mon gottin be, 3e mon ane vther send than me ?1438 Alex. ii 3490.
Sic succours to thé sall I send, Be all our goddis, thame I wald nocht leis For ane thousand gude citeis 1513 Doug. viii iii 176.
To morn, … With succurs and suppovell blythly I Sal ȝou fra hyne hame to ȝour army send 1523 Treas. Acc. V 212.
Advertesand him that my lord of Arrane and succurris suld haist thaim to him 1533 Bell. Livy II 147/32.
Municiouns … to resist euery succurs or supple that mycht cum tharefra 1541 Sc. Hist. Rev. VI 152.
The king [of France] … is determit … to gif ȝour grace the succurris and supple that ȝe may … desire c1590 Fowler II 104/36.
He proceded in the were with his awen forces without the service or succourse of any others c1590 Fowler II 142/8.
The contess of Furly … by the ayd of her castell avoyded the pepills fureur, abaid the succours of Milan, and recovered her estate a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 314.
The king, dreading that Bothuel sould obtene succourse from Ingland 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 155.
He besiedged the castle of Brechen, which wes rendered unto him, before any succors culd come from Huntly(c) 1375 Barb. iii 600.
He … saw … that he had na ner socouris Then the kingis flote 1456 Hay I 138/17.
Gif the king of Spaigne sendis socouris to the king of Fraunce, the quhilk othir tymes has send him socouris in syk lyke cas 1456 Hay I 139/31, etc.
Socours(d) 1456 Hay I 91/9.
Gif the king of Spanȝe sendis secours to the king of France in his weris 1616 Misc. Hist. Soc. II 228.
Schoo did … desyre of the quene of Ingland acces to hir … & secours to repress hir rebels 1627 Aberd. Council Lett. I 272.
For you by far from any suddent secours [sc. in case of armed attack] 1644 Baillie II 188.
We trust to heare shortly of their totall derout … their confidence is in Prince Rupert's secours

b. A body of military reinforcements, a reinforcing party or army. 1636 Dunbar Social Life III 33.
Ther is a secourse of 14 thousand men joynd with the Swaidisch armie, newly come from Lieueland

3. = ? 1 or ? 2 above. 1523–4 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 192.
David Betoun … to pas to the maist crisnit king [of France] and thank his grace of the sending of my lord governour in this realme witht his gret and hounorable secours 1568 Q. Mary in Facs. Nat. MSS III lviii.
As to the secours of B. and Sp. I hoip to get of thame baith or the moneth of Marche

4. One who is a source of help; a protector or saviour (also, to or till another).(1) c1420 Wynt. vi 1125.
Be prayere off the Madyn pwre, That is my helpe and my succoure c1409-1436 Kingis Q. § 100.
Ȝe that bene the socoure and suete well Off remedye c1450-2 Howlat 720 (A).
Haile [Mary] succour & salf for the synnis sevyne 15.. Clar. iii 1588.
Succur a1568 Scott vii 28.
Adew the succour that ma me saif!(2) 1460 Hay Alex. 257.
Till all wemen and pure folk he was succour a1500 Henr. Prayer 7.
O Lord, that is to mankynd haill succure a1568 Wedderburn in Bann. MS 242a/220.
Wemen till ws is succour sence & seill

5. Protection from danger; (a place of) safety, refuge.(a) ?1438 Alex. i 1988.
The folk of Grece … to ane strenth, to get succour, Thame thai with-drew c1420 Wynt. i 1666.
Thai sulde have succoure swne, Qwhyll thai wytht-in the presence ware Byddande off that fygowre c1420 Wynt. vii 168.
Sum sowcht succoure in Scotland, … That war gret and hey persowyns a1500 Henr. Fab. 1786 (Bann.).
The samin birdis … becaus it was thair hanting place, Mair of succour or ȝit mair solitare, Thay lychtit doun c1475 Wall. ix 1078.
Off comowns part into the forest fled Succour [1570 surcour] to sek a1500 Seven S. 859.
I se na succoure Bot gif we mycht wyn in the tovre a1497, 15.. Gray MS vi 80.
God & our lady deir Quhilk sall the sone to succour send 1535 Stewart 46187.
The pepill … For girth and succour to the kirk ar fled 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. 55.
The succure from parrell, and confort in saull and bodie(b) a1538 Abell 109a.
Eftirwert he fled in Scotland for sucur & wes graciuslie resauit be king James the sicund(c) 1535 Stewart 58223.
Sucker(d) 1494 Loutfut MS 39b.
He that first bure castell in armes wes a … man of gret refuge to thaim that fled to forterissis for succors 1494 Loutfut MS 34b.
His secours & helpe for vthir defence wes nocht in him aganis his enemys bot that he wes of gud wil & of a gud natur a1586 Lindsay MS 37b.
Ane man of grit refuge to thame that fled to fortresis for secouris [Loutfut succors]