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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Birs, Byrs, n. Also: birse, byrse, byrst. [OE. byrst, whence rare ME. brust.]

1. The bristles of a boar or other animal; bristle as a substance. c1500 Fyve Bestes 282.
It was ane blyth sicht of this baire, Of reid gold was the birs he bure 1505–6 Treas. Acc. III. 184.
Item, for iij ½ pund byrst; ilk unce xij d. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 95.
As birs of ane brym bair, his berd is als stif 1531 Bell. Boece II. 201.
Ane man … with body full of birs 1533 Boece xi. ii. 403.
Ane creature … all ouregrowin with birs and hare 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 239.
Ane spunge of birse c1590 J. Stewart 62/176.
As bustius boir … Bends vp his birs and vill the bargan byd a1603 Anc. Prophecies .
Then hie thé, hurcheon … Shal neuer doun on thy skinne, nor birs be thé left 1616 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 24.
Swyne bones, sheip bones, & swynes birs

b. Used figuratively with reference to persons. 1558-66 Knox I. 147.
Many of thame lacked beardis … and tharefore could not bukkill other by the byrse 1622 Course Conformitie 153 (J).
Albeit now his birse rise when he heareth the one c 1666 Lauderdale P. I. 251.
100 of ther hors: … stuck in others birse

2. A single bristle. 1513 Doug. viii. iv. 181.
The rouch byrsys on the breist and creste Of that … wilde beiste Ib. x. xii. 58.
Quhen that he … vp hys byrsys settis 1680 Blackness Customs MS. 5b.
Ten pund drest birses

3. A brush made of bristles or other material. 1590 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 391.
For ane feg frear to be birsis to the paynteris 1597 Bk. Rates 3.
Birsis or lytill spungis for bairdis 1602 Treas. Acc. MS. 161.
For the princes vse ane birs to straik hir hair 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI. 320.
Sex dosone of bruischis and birsis

4. Attrib. with hede, rubber, spunge, switcher. 1500 Treas. Acc. II: 27.
j byrs spowngis for the Kingis bonatis 1581 Treas. Acc. MS. 81* b.
Twa spungis to the said fute mantillis with twa birs rubberis 1597 Bk. Rates 11.
Spungis callit birs spungis 1633 M. Works Acc. XXVII. 16 b.
For ane birs heid 1691 Soc. Ant. (1919) 61.
Ane birse switcher for hangings