Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

(Were schip,) Wer-, Weir(e) schip, n. Also: wear schip, war(re) ship. [18th c. Eng. war-ship (1776); Wer(e n.¹ and S(c)hip n.] A ship armed and manned for war. Also fig.(a) c1475 Wall. ix 146.
The wer schippis was lappyt thaim about(b) 1533 Treas. Acc. VI 134.
To … desist fra all making furth of weir schippis in contrar the Inglismen for weill of peace 1549 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) J. de Complude v. Robertson.
Andro Robertsoun capitane … of ane weir schip 1550 Reg. Privy C. I 104.
To licence the weire schippis of this realme … to pas furth in weirfar 1558 Admir. Ct. Bk. (St. S.) 77.
David Duf … to have bene victuallar of half ane quarter of the weirschip 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 34.
Bothwill … with … v^c men … manit twa schippis; ane Dwtche schipe … and ane Scottis weir schip(c) 1607 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 57 (see Wer(e n.¹ 5 d (1)).
Wear schip 1622-6 Bisset II 220/5.
Baneris and trumpettis in wear schipis(d) 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 248.
They skipped at Cromartie, in the Earle of Orknay his warre shipfig. 1645 Rutherford Tryal Faith (1743) 387.
Satan's works of sin and hell … was a prison house and a castle of strength and a strong war-ship