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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

ENTRY, n. Sc. usages which are now obs. or dial. in Eng. Also †entrie.

1. An alley or passage, gen. public and usually arched over, in or between houses. Gen.Sc. exc. Sh., Ork. and Abd.Sc. 1707 Forbes Decisions (1714) 137:
Now, this House was never in Use to be set for Rent, and is much larger than an ordinary Farmer's House, being three Story high, containing about Twenty two Glass Windows in nine Rooms, with a Closs, Office-houses, and a Stone Pend above the Entry.Sc. 1792 D. Hume Punishment of Crimes (1797) I. 315:
A brawl had taken place upon the street, hard by his post, between certain striplings on the one part, and two soldiers and a woman on the other, who being molested, and pelted with stones, took refuge in a sort of entry or passage, behind his post.Dmf. 1812 W. Singer Agric. Dmf. 595:
Each person who feus a house-stead is obliged to build with stone and lime, according to a regular plan; and a common entry is left between every two lots for access to their offices, which are built immediately behind their houses.Rnf. 1850 A. McGilvray Poems 255:
Through an entry of renown, They call'd the Goosedub close.Edb. 1882 J. Grant Old and New Edb. II. 326:
In 1778, when six years of age. Sir Walter Scott attended the school of Mr John Luckmore, in Hamilton's Entry, off Bristo Street.Arg. 1914 N. Munro New Road xix.:
Clean through the inn went running from the street an entry, close, or pend, high-arched and broad enough to pass a cart.

Hence entry-mouth, the entrance to a narrow lane or passage (m.Lth.¹ 1950), “the end of an entry . . . where it opens upon a street” (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.).Edb. 1843 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie's Wallet Intro. 9:
There's a strong gurly blast, tho' it's no frae the south, Ne'er mind, but slip into the dark entry mouth.

2. (1) The entrance to an avenue leading to a house; the avenue itself (m.Lth.¹, Bwk.² 1950).Sc. 1734 J. Cockburn Letters (S.H.S. 1904) 15:
Between the Entrie and the old path and there abouts.Sc. 1834 G. R. Gleig Allan Breck II. xiv.:
My sister Janet and me found ye, last night . . . under a buss at the fit o' the entry.

(2) A long straight stretch of road (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).

3. The front doorway of a house; an entrance lobby or porch, esp. in a block of flats (Edb.⁵ 1943). Also used attrib. in entry door (Bnff.², Abd.⁹ 1943).Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 89:
The cook-maid she was wond'rous spruce, An' bobbit in the entry.Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems, etc. I. 63:
Ye'll find it on a plate i' the entry.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) vi.:
In going up and down the stairs — it being a common entry, ye observe . . . we frequently met half-way.Gsw. 1846 J. Smith Working Classes 24:
In McLaren's land, one entry and stair admit to upwards of forty dwellings.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxii.:
He . . . conducted the ground-officer round by the “entry” door and into the best parlour.Ayr. 1890 J. Service Notandums 24:
Stoovin' awa furrit through entries and up stairs.Ags. 1949 Scots Mag. (Sept.) 408:
Granny, there's a lad wi' a dog standin' in your entry.

4. Sc. feudal law: the renewal of investiture with the superior by the heir of a vassal, in order that he may make his ownership of land effective. Hist. See also Enter.Sc. 1838 Bell Dict. Law Scot. 359:
In feudal law, this term is applied to the entry of the heir of the vassal with the superior. On the death of the vassal the property . . . according to feudal principles, returns to the superior, by whom it must be again given out to the heir of a vassal, before he can complete a feudal title as heir to his predecessor. . . . The heir's entry is completed by infeftment.

Hence non-entry, n., (1) failure to make such a renewal, the lands being then regarded as being in non-entry; (2) the feudal due payable to the superior upon such failure.(1) Sc. 1704 Morison Decisions 9325:
Lord Lauderdale as superior of Easter and Wester Hailes, pursues a declarator of non-entry of these lands against Redhall, as being in his hand ever since the death of the vassal's father, which was in 1670.Sc. 1890 Session Cases (1889–90) 947:
The Act of 1874, however, declared that no lands should after the commencement of the Act be in non-entry.(2) Sc. 1707 in Earls of Crm. (ed. Fraser 1876) II. 56:
Least advantage may be taken by obtaining a gift of nonentries from herr Majesty.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles ii. 5:
Non-entry is that casualty, which arises to the superiour out of the rents of the feudal subject where the heir neglects to renew the investiture after his ancestor's death.

5. = Entress, q.v. Sometimes in pl.Sc. 1741 Caled. Mercury (20 Jan.):
The Furniture is mostly new, chosen with very good Taste, cleanly kept, and Entries low.Ib. (3 Aug.):
There is a good Mansion-house with Office-houses and Gardens upon the Lands. There is also good Coal in the said Lands. And the Entry will be very low.