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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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

Wauchtar, Wachter, n.¹ Also: waughtar, -er, waighter, waster. [e.m.E. waftore (1482), waughter (1484), wafter (1513), waghter (1524), Du., LG wachter guard.] An armed vessel, usu. employed to guard other vessels. Also attrib. Also transf., the captain of such a ship.(a) a1538 Abell 118b.
The papis galionis … set on the 2 turkis gret galionis & wauchtaris & tuke thame 1615 Crim. Trials III 111 (see transf. below). 1616 Melrose P. 257.
One of the waughters had caussin anker in thair raid … displayed hir coulours, and crossed hir raes 1623 Aberd. B. Rec. II 388.
Nicholas Kempt, capitane of ane of the Holland waughteris callit the Tyning of Camphear a1651 Calderwood VII 283.
[The] admirall-depute … went … to lift the king's assise duetie of the fishe from the Hollenders, who fished in our North seaes. … The captains of the waughters desired him to come aboord a1651 Calderwood VII 572.
A Dunkirker, persued by two waughters, arrived at Leith … but within sixe or sevin dayes … both the Dunkirker and the waughters hoised up theis sailes, and went to the seas(b) 1571 Bann. Memor. 208.
Thair is a guid number of schipis at Dover-raid … whilkis hes taken mony of the buscheis and thair wachteris 1622 Chron. Perth 23.
Ane great schip … chassit be the Hollande vachteris(c) 1657 Balfour Ann. IV 2.
Mr. George Winrame … came home in a waighter, and arriued at Leithe(d) 1670 Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 64.
I was an eye witness of the Hollanders Busses fishing for herrings on the coast of Shetland … the fleet consisted of 1500 sail, and there were about 20 wasters, as they call them, ships carrying about 30 guns a peice, being the convoys of the fleet bussesattrib. 1649 Ruthven Corr. 115.
All your graith and fowrnishing … should have come away with a waughter shipetransf. 1615 Crim. Trials III 111.
There is a waughtar lyand in Zetland attending the Flemes fleitt at the fischeing … this waughtar … followes the pirote to Okrnay … takes thame both and bringes thame to Leyth saying that he had a command … that what euer pirrottes he fand [etc.] … The captane of the waughtar excuised him selue [etc.] … The counsall accepted … of the waughtars doings … and hes propyned him with a coup of lx vnce weight