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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
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Université, -y, -ie, n. Also: universitee, -ytie, -ietie, -etie, -atie, uniwersitie, unyversyte, -wersyte, wniversité, -ie, wniverssietie. [ME and e.m.E. vniuersite (c1330), vnyuersite (Wyclif), vniversitie (?1402), vniuersity (1589), OF université, L. ūniversitāt-.]

1. a. Your universite(is), the collective body of persons addressed in the salutation of a formal document.sing. 1385 Red Bk. Menteith II 260.
Tyl yhur vniversite be wyttyn that my redoutyt lorde, Sir Robert Stewart [etc.] 1416 Liber Melros 539.
Wit yhoure vniversite that discorde … risand betwix … the Abbot … of Melros … and … John the Hage [etc.] 1438 Dipl. Norv. XX 102.
For the schawing of suthfastnes til your universite makis kende that we … bystude, saw and onherde and for witnessis wes tane 1457 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V ii 800 (20 Sept.).
Wit yhour vniuersitee vs of digest & ryp delyuerance til haue sett & to ferme lattyne … the fischingispl. 1473 Edinb. B. Rec. I 26.
Heirfoir it is that to your vniuersiteis we mak it knawin [etc.] 1588 Reg. Great S. 547/1.
Wit yeour wniversiteis that I … sellis [blank] to William Bannatyne … my landis and ile of Gairsay 1590 St. A. B. Ct. 3 July.
Greting in God evirlesting with your vniversiteis that we … causit lawfullie summond 1597 Glasgow Bonnetmakers App. 85.

b. All the people, collectively, in or of a particular place or of a particular sort; a corporate body. c1590 Fowler II 116/23.
Infinit murders and robberyeis, quharby the whole province and vniversetie is interessed and damnefyed c1590 Fowler II 131/12.
That vniversytie and multitud whether they be of the gretest, the richesest sort or suddarts … mast apt for the maintenance of thy estate 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i i 7 (1699) 11.
Whether a collective body of people, or university, such as a burgh or incorporation, may commit a crime, seems debateable

c. Completeness; totality. 1533 Boece 335a.
Ambirkeleth … the vniuersite of all vicis involuit … grew ane vile vnhonest rutoure

2. A corporate body devoted to learning, a university, a degree-awarding institution of higher learning. Also const. of the location. Also coll.For further examples, see St. A. Kirk S. Index, s.v. St. Andrews, University of. 1434 Reg. St. A. 411.
[Willelmus de Boys Sanctiandree diocese almeque vniversitatis eivsdem bedellus 1491 Reg. Paisley 155.
Johanne Goldsmyt rectore alme vniversitatis Glasgvensis 1549–50 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 190.]
Villelmum Elphinstoun … fundatorem vniuersitatis et collegij Aberdonensis(1) c1420 Wynt. vi 223.
Charlys the Empryoure … gert the Unyversyte Fra Rome to Parys drawin be 1451 Ayr B. Ct. 22 Oct.
The said maister John has giffin our the sang skule to the said alderman bailȝeis & comite the said maister John ramaynand with the gramer skule with al profettis in althingis effter the tenour of our letter exceppand gif tharis haldis with in ws ane vniuersite 1490 Irland Mir. III 146/15.
All vniuersiteis and clerkis that ar wisest procedis be way of eleccioun 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1022.
Moste counnying clerkis of uniuersiteis c1545 St. A. Univ. Rec. xxi.
Hereces and strangis opinionis … quhilkis will nocht be suppressit … wythout vniuersiteis quhair cunnynge men ar … led thame agane out of thair error c1545 St. A. Univ. Rec. xxi.
[The university of St. Andrews] is sa desolate and destitute bayth of rederris, techarris and auditouris that it is neir perist and meretis nocht to be callit ane vniuersite a1547 Coll. St. Salvator 161 n.
Tua wther beddell wandis of siluer pertening to the universitie 1563 Documents, Univer. Com. Glasg. App. 237 in Orig. Par. I 10.
Off the quhilk college [sc. of Glasgow] ane part of the scoles and chalmeris being biggit, the rest … ceassit, swa that the samyne appearis rather to be the decay of ane universitie, nor ony wayis to be reknit ane establischit fundation 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 536.
And … promeissis faythfullie to reforme the scolis, collegis and universiteis … and to expell and remove the ydolataris that hes chargis thairof a1578 Pitsc. I 380/3.
On the morne the quen passit throw the toune [sc. St. Andrews] and wisitit all the kirkis and colledgis and the vniversietie withtin the toun 1578 Acts III 98/1.
The vniuersiteis … ar misvsit be particular personis to thar awin avantage without respect of the educatioun of the ȝouth in wertew and gude lettrez 1596 Dalr. I 37/6.
Wniuersitie 1597 Acts IV 148/1.
Being of deliberat mynd … to erect ane vniuersitie within the said brughe … to the advancement of the loist and tint ȝouthe in bringing tham vp in leirning and vertew 1646 Acts VI i 591/1.
[They] did wrong the vniversitie [of St. Andrews] in borroweing bookis out of thair librarie and not restoring thairof c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 9.
Mr. Charles Ferme … was … called to the ministery at Fraserburgh … where there was ane beginning of an university, over which he had the chargepossess. 1664 Glasg. Univ. Mun. II 480.
There will be necessar for the help of the universities liberarie whiche is verie small and hathe no considerable wayes to be bettered, the soume of [etc.]coll. 1572 Sat. P. xxxiii 194.
Ȝe collegis and uniuersitie That to all vthers suld exempill be I se ȝour tempills cassin downe and reuin(2) c1420 Wynt. viii 275.
To the Unywersyte [C., W. Vniuersite] Off Parys, the cas all thus wrat he c1420 Wynt. viii 1517.
In the Unyversyte [C., W. Vniuersite] Off Oxynfurde scho gert be A collage fowndyt. This lady Dyd all thir dedis devotly 1479–80 Acta Conc. I 48/2.
Ane annuel clamyt be the faculte of arte of the vniuersite of Glasgw to be aucht to thaim of the said landis 1490 Irland Mir. II 149/14.
The noble and excellent vniuersite of Paris 1497 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 15.
The collaeg foundit be our soverane lord and brother James the ferd at the universite of Aberdon a1538 Abell 94b.
He gart exame the caus in the Wniuersite of Paris quhare be the maist part it wes concludit at Robert Brus wes richtus hair of Scotland 1680 Inverness Rec. II 285.
Ane letter from His Majesties Universatie of Old Aberdone 1693 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I 431.
The deed concludes with an irritancy in favour of the University of Edinburgh … in case of the contravention of these conditions

b. transf. University teachers and administrators, collectively. 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 10.
Geif the principal inlak, the vniversitie and conservatour or hys deputis sal convein and cheis of the hail vniversitie four of the best qualefyit personis to that office a1578 Pitsc. II 82/9.
This marter of God sufferit on this wyse … at Sanctandrois befor all the clargie and wniverssietie of Scottland was thair for the tyme a1578 Pitsc. II 123/27.
Than war all the bischopis and kirkmen and vniwersitie and clergie of France in ordour evirie estait as affeired 1578 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 56b.
We [sc. rector of the university, etc.] dispensis with the publict mendis quhilk vthir wayis the said Mr. Robert aucht to have maid befoir the haill vniuersitie

c. The Academy of Athens in Ancient Greece. 1460 Hay Alex. 398.
Aristotill thai gart byd with him [sc. Alexander] ay In Athenes the gret vniuersitie