A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1409-1436, 1494-1658
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Tres(s, Tras(e, n. Also: tresse, trace, trais(s. [ME and e.m.E. tress(e (c1290), trace (c1380), OF tresce.]
1. Chiefly pl.: Hair bound in plaits or something similar; a lock of hair. Also fig.(a) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 328.
Ladyis … with lustie giltin tressis c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 62.
Ane hundreth ladyes … Thair brycht hairis hang gletering on the strandis In tressis [B. tresis] clere, wyppit wyth goldyn thredis 1513 Doug. i vi 26.
As scho had bene a wild hunteres, With wynd waving hir haris lowsit of tres(b) 15.. Clariodus v 2066.
The goldin traces of his [sc. Apollo's] heid 15.. Clariodus v 2074.
Lustie Venus schew hir lustie face, And let hir goldin traces out of leacefig. c1409-1436 Kingis Quair § 1.
In Aquary, Citherea the clere, Rynsid hir tressis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 142/53.
The purpour sone … Quhois gilt tressis schone so wondir cleir c1620 Boyd Zion's Fl. 145.
My sonnes … will by the tresses snatch The fittest time this matter to dispatch
b. ? A bundle (of straw). 1593 Edinburgh Testaments XXV 129b.
Ane trais of ait stray price thairof xiij s. iiij d.
2. A ribbon or thin braid, freq. of gold, silver, etc. a. Used as an ornamental trimming on a garment, etc. b. For tying up the hair.a. 1538 Treasurer's Accounts VI 412.
lxxx elnis of tres 1538 Treasurer's Accounts VII 9.
ij uncis ½ of tressis of blak silk to put about the said fute mantill [sc. for the king's mule] 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 82.
Ane cote of variand taffatie with ane small walting tres of gold 1550 Treasurer's Accounts IX 455.
Coft to covir tua chiris to my lord governoure, aucht elnis veluet … xvj elnis tressis put on the saittis of the saidis chiris 1550 Treasurer's Accounts IX 461.
To Besse Murray to be nicht howis to my lord governoure, thre elnis holand claith … xxxvj s. … to hir to by lynyngis and tressis to the samyn, vj s.(b) 1537 Treasurer's Accounts VI 339.
Aucht unce of trases of gold and silver to lay about the edgeis of the pasmontis 1538 Treasurer's Accounts VI 384.
Trasis 1538 Treasurer's Accounts VI 398.
Till Thomas Arthure till be freynȝeis, tracis, and sprayngis to the saidis quhite goune 1538 Treasurer's Accounts VI 425.
x unce of small tracis 1539 Inv. Wardrobe 32.
Ane nycht gowne of gray dammes with ane walting trais of gold 1543 Treasurer's Accounts VIII 181.
For xx elnis traces of gold to the cote 1548 Treasurer's Accounts IX 223.
Thre elnis pasmentis to the samyn hat … Fyve elnis traissis to the same 1549–50 Treasurer's Accounts IX 383.
xxij elnis trasis of blak silk to be sewit upoun lycht quafis of his graces 1575 Edinburgh Testaments III 361b.
Braid belting trasis price of the vnce x s. ij dosane of traces of silk pointis price of the dosane v s. 1576 Edinburgh Testaments IV 92a.
Ane pund of blak traisis 1588–9 Cal. Sc. P. IX 671.
xiiij vnce collouris of traissis at xvj l.b. 15.. Clariodus ii 1721.
The sex fair Virgins … With hairis bundin in traces of gold
3. = Tress(o)ur n.1 and Tresett n.(a) 1494 Deidis of Armorie 15.
And will ȝe wit quhat is tresse, luk in this buk the armes of Scotland 1494 Deidis of Armorie 55.
Tresse and double tresse has elik signifiaunce and is nocht put commonly bot is be-flourist with flour-de-lices(b) 1594 Charteris Wall. Pref. 174.
He did eik vnto their former armes … the twa dowbil traissis with flourdelices gangand in & out 1658 R. Moray Lett. 327.
The cinqfoils or rather traises are the original coat
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"Tres n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/tress>
