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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1420, 1488-1685
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Bede, Beid, n. Also: beyd, beed, bead, bed. [ME. bede (pl. bedes, bedis), OE. ᵹebed, pl. ᵹebedu, ONhb. ᵹebeado, -beodo.]
1. A prayer. a1400 Legends of the Saints ix. 86.
Thi haly bedis brynnis me a1400 Ib. xxii. 674.
He suld ilk day sa[y] the bed c1420 Wynt. v. 3772 (C).
With in the kyrk he durst noucht ga, Bot withe out his bedis [v.r. bede, beid] to ma He set hym 1513 Doug. vi. i. 100.
Blyn nocht … Of thi bedis nor thi prayeris, quod sche a1570-86 Inglis Maitland Folio MS lxii. 14.
Sa few to reid the deirgey and the beid Within this land wes never harde nor sene
2. A bead (orig. of a rosary). A pair of bedis, or simply bedis, a rosary.(a) 1488 Treasurer's Accounts I. 80.
The grete bedis of gold contenand sex score twa bedis and a knop 1488 Ib. 81.
Ane vche of gold like a flourethelis of diamantis, and thre bedis of gold 1492 Acts Lords of Council 255/1.
vj ringis of golde, xij beddis of siluer owrgilt 1501 Treasurer's Accounts II. 25.
For ane pair of bedis of jasp to the King 1516 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 22.
A pare of bedes of curall gawdet with sex perle 1541 Treasurer's Accounts VII. 553.
Thre chenȝeis, … x bedis of gold, 1 bedis of ammatist(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 661.
With beidis in hand, sayand his Pater noster 1489 Treasurer's Accounts I. 113.
To the King, to mak him beidis, fyfty vj royse nobillis 1489 Ib. 126.
Ane angell quhilk he bowyt and put about his beydis 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 297/18.
Ane pair of beidis of sabill c1500-c1512 Dunb. xiii. 18.
Sum patteris with his mowth on beidis c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 565.
With beidis in hand, crosand and sayand creid 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 174.
Sum makis Goddis of thair beidis 1581 Burne Disput. 189.
Ane change … From occupeing beiddis, To brydling thair heiddis 1596 Dalr. I. 102/7.
Thay say thair prayeris, and pray thair beides, quhilkes rosarie we cal 1616 Bk. Univ. Kirk III. 1118.
Beids, croces, crucifixes 1655 Wemyss Chart. 241.
Ane bracelet … consisting of thretteine beeds 1662 Highland P. III. 28.
A string with knots and beids 1685 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries LVIII. 354.
3 strings of curell beids. … Another string of beids
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"Bede n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bede_n>
