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 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Trechour, Trichour, n. (adj.). Also: trychour, treichour, treitcheoure; (trachour). [ME and e.m.E. trichor (c1290), trechour(e (Chaucer), trychour (Caxton), trecher (1613), OF trecheor, tricheur.] A deceiver, liar, cheat. b. attrib. or adj. Treacherous.The Doug. quot. is given, correctly, in the Coldwell edition as crachour (OED Cratcher n.) one who scrapes up, a hoarder, and the variant trachour in the Small edition is probably a misreading of c as t. However, the Ruddiman variant treitcheoure would seem to be an accommodation to Trechour n., as evidenced by the spelling of the vowel in the stressed syllable, and the quot. is, therefore, included here. ?1438 Alex. ii 9583.
Our lord … held all gude men ay at feid, And of trechouris and of lossingeris [F. ceus qui savoient losengier et mesdire] He maid his preue counsalers 1456 Hay II 25/3.
Than is syk a prince mekle to prise … that knawis syk trychouris and trompouris and unworthy traytouris, that beris waste name of knychthede 1494 Loutfut MS 27b.
A man of gret langaige a trichour & rycht malicious 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 97 (Sm.).
Sum trachour [Ruddim. treitcheoure, C. crachour] crynis the cunȝe, and kepis corn stakis a1568 Bann. MS 122a/2.
Ane auldman trichour trewthlesb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 55.
Thy trechour [M. treichour] tung hes tane ane heland strynd