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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PAISE, v., n. Also pais, pase, pace; ¶paste (Ags. 1714 R. Finlayson Arbroath Doc. (1923) 22); pease; peise (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). [Sc. n. pes, v. pe:z; s.Sc. v. pɛiz]

I. v. 1. To place in equilibrium, balance, poise (Sc. 1832 A. Henderson Proverbs Gl., paise, peise). Obs. in Eng.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 11:
Ein on en' he pais'd his rung, then Watch'd the airt its head did fa'.

2. To assess (weight, quality, etc.) using touch and feel, to “weigh up”, estimate (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 371; w. and s.Sc. 1880 Jam., pais, pace). Also in Eng. dial.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 94:
Amaist, like Bonar, he a skep Cou'd paise and sleely han'le.Kcb. a.1900 “Mulciber Veritatis” Gall. Herds 7:
“Paise” is to mak' the han' be helpmeet to the judgment. The butcher paises a sheep when he runs his hand along its back to estimate its condition.

3. Specif., in making drain pipes: to make up lumps of clay of suitable size for each mould; hence pacer, one who does this, a moulder's labourer.Ayr. 1853–5 Trans. Highl. Soc. 41:
One of these men was employed in what is technically called pacing for the moulder — that is, in forming oblong sheets [of clay] to suit the size of the mould.

4. To lever up, raise by leverage (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also in Eng. dial.

‡II. n. 1. A stone or metal weight, freq. one used in a pulley mechanism of some sort. Also in Eng. dial.; specif. †(1) one of the weights of a pendulum clock (Sc. 1741 A. M'Donald Galick Vocab. 105, pace, 1808 Jam.). Comb. pease-stone, pace-, id.; a sash weight in a window.Abd. 1702 Rec. Old Abd. (S.C.) II. 159:
James Thomson clokmaker for a tow to hing the clok pace . . . £2. 1. 6.Sc. 1711 J. Dalgleish Sermon 11:
The Heart of a Man Resembleth the Paces of a Clock, which must be Frequently drawn, otherwise by Reason of the Weight of Lead Hanging at it, its Motion would Cease.Rxb. 1726 J. J. Vernon Par. Hawick (1900) 210:
Paid for tows to pease stones . . . £0. 8. 0.Sc. 1767 Session Papers, Petition P. Begbie (16 Jan.) 18:
All the windows to be glazed with Newcastle crown glass, bedded and back-pottied, and all hung with paces.Sc. 1781 Caled. Mercury (1 Dec.):
Coal-backets and Fire-pans, Clock and Window Paces.

(2) In weaving: one of the weights in the pulley which controls the tension of the warp threads (Rnf. a.1850 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) P. 4.); also applied to the pulley itself. Used attrib. in combs. pace-cord, -flange, -pulley, -rope (Ayr. 1951), -stone.Sc. 1807 J. Duncan Weaving 17:
A heavier weight X is then hung from the lever V, and as this weight is moved nearer to, or further from the centre of the lever, the tension of the warp will become less or greater as may be needful. This apparatus is called a pace.Fif. 1844 P. Chalmers Dunfermline 364:
Instead of this calmstone, there are now generally long and rather heavy cylindrical pieces of lead or metal, named paces. When any leaf or shaft is depressed by a tramp on the treadles, the paces bring it up again to a level with the other leaves, and keep it steady.Rnf. 1876 D. Gilmour Pen' Folk 15:
The weaver . . . adjusted his “pace-cords” and set up his rods.Dmf. 1891 J. Brown Sanquhar 325:
Many a weaver's “pace” (stones which were hung on the beam to keep the web on the stretch, to which use old and disused curling stones were frequently put), was unstrung.Peb. 1899 J. Grosart Chronicles 164:
Willie Wastle's weaver pace stones.