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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.

Verd(o)ur(e, Va(i)rdour, n. Also: verdeour, werd(e)our, werdor, vardur, wardour(e, -ur, -or, vairder, wairdo(u)r. [ME and e.m.E. verdure (14th c.), verdour (1447), verder (1500), verdor (a1548), OF verdure, -our.]

1. Green vegetation, leaves, etc.; greenery. Also attrib. b. The greenness of vegetation. 1456 Hay II 128/12.
Than … flouris and levis begynnis to burgeoun … and the treis to clethe thame with verduris 1456 Hay II 132/9.
Than all the levis fallis and the erde helis with snawis all verdure is corrupt c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 30 (M).
As new spynist rose, Arrayit ryallie about with mony riche wardour 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 132.
And syluer schakaris gan fra levys hyng … on the verdour ȝyng a1550 Tayis Bank 23.
Vndir that bank … I bownit me to abyde … In bed of blumes … About all blomet wes my bour … With schakeris of the schene dew schour Schynnyng my courtenis schew Arrayit with a rich vardour of natouris werkis new 15.. Clar. ii 1342.
That na tre salbe seine for leif and floure Ouerspred with Mayis carpits of verdoure a1568 Bann. MS 55a/122.
Thus I come hame within my covertour Reiosit gritly of this visioun Quhilk I had sene in this grit vardourattrib. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 17.
Quhilk verdour branches ouir the alars ȝetb. 1461 Liber Plusc. 383.
Herbe, fluris and flouris, Fair flurisand and fresche in thair verdoure

2. Tapestry sewn or woven with representations of trees, vegetation, etc. b. An instance of this, a hanging, bed-covering, etc. of this sort. c. attrib. With bed, a covering of this sort or a bed furnished with such material, and clathis. 1483 Acta Aud. 112*/1.
A couering of Inglis worsat with ane vther coueryng of verdour price iiij li. 1493 Halyb. 10.
A fadirbed … a curvaryng of wardur … a cod 1494 Halyb. 30.
Tayn in pament … a stek wardor of 30 ellis 1494 Halyb. 30.
Item pakyt this wardur and the 2 stekis of Holland clath to gedir in an barell 1495 Halyb. 12.
A fyn cowiryng of vardur, 20 ellis … 2 li. 10 s. 1502 Treas. Acc. II 149.
The hinging of the chameris of verdeour 1516 Edinb. B. Rec. I 161 (see Paling n.). 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I 32.
Ane lettgant bed furneist witht Flandreis werdour 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 288.
Bankeris of verdurb. 1501 Treas. Acc. II 35.
viij beddis and matrasses and verdeouris 1501 Exch. R. XII 236.
Twa beddis, sex cuchinis, ane bancorn of werdour 1503 Treas. Acc. II 216.
vj verdeouris bocht for hyngingis of galloryis … v othir verdeouris, smallar 1505 Treas. Acc. III 143.
Werdeouris 1505 Exch. R. XII 673.
vj fedder bedis, tua bosteris, vj werdoris 1506 Treas. Acc. III 49.
For viij verdeouris to hing the coyis of the kingis schip 1517 Caldwell P. I 55.
Verdours, price of the pece iii lib. … Arres werks [etc.] 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 319.
For twa verdouris to cover thair beddis 1607 Edinb. Test. XLII 377.
Ane plaid ane verdour or bed couer ane pair of scheittis(b) 1559 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I xc.
A great verdure that lays before the altare(c) 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 246.
Till him … at his maredge, ane fedder bede with bostar and fedderis price v li. Item, ane wardoure price xxx s. Item ane pair schetis price xxiiij s. [etc.] 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 378.
To Nichole Cant of the wardrop for downe taking, … and mending of the arres clathtis … and for lynyng of sex wardourris 1522 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 209.
Ane feddir bed, ane vardour, ane boster, cod, and blankatis 1592 St. A. B. Ct. 1 Dec.
Ane vofin wardor of xxviij s. … ane schewid wardor of vj s. vij d. 1624 Brechin Test. IV 139.
Four pair bedplaidis … tua vardouris(d) 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
Ane vairdour ane stand bed 1535 Bamff Chart. 70.
Ane furneist bed with fedder bed … vairdour [pr. vaindour] and courtingis 1562 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 648/2.
Twa pair of claith blankcattis and twa wairdoris 1567 Edinb. Test. I 32.
Ane Franche wairdour 1584 Edinb. Test. XIV 70.
Ane auld vairder 1606 Dunblane Test. III 104.
Fywe wairdouris or coveringis of bedisc. (1) 1488 Treas. Acc. I 157.
For a verdour bed to the duk, price iiij li. x s. 1498 Halyb. 223.
A wardur bed 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II 366.
The verdoure bed, the burd claithis of dornyk, and utheris insicht gudis 1521–2 Dundee B. Ct. I 75 (5 Feb.).
A werdour bed with the blankatis & a cod to ij merkis 1529 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 230.
Ane furnist bedd with … blancatis of fusteane fedder bedd bowsteris verdour bedd with all furnissing 1551 Dundee B. Ct. II 81b (3 Aug.).
Ane verdur bed [with] courtingis 1555–6 Perth Guildry 299.
Ane werdour bed with sex werdour cussinggis(2) 1501 Treas. Acc. II 31.
For vj elne cammas … to mend the verdeour clathis