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: <1375, 1375, 1490-1647, 1700+
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Bolt, bowt, n.2 Also: bowlt, bout(t. [ME. bolt (1407), perhaps the same word as Bolt,n.1] A roll, length, or quantity, of woven fabric or similar material.(a) 1328 Exchequer Rolls I. 117.
[Pro viginti quinque boltis, liberatis clerico gardrobe 1329 Ib. 232.]
De xviij boltis de card 1490 Acts Lords of Council 158/1.
Sex boltis of fustiane 1491 Dunferm. B. Rec. 34.
A bolt of fustiane 1511 Treasurer's Accounts IV. 288.
ix bolts canves 1541 Criminal Trials I. 309.
For xij boltis of cammes … to be salis 1575 Oppress. Orkney 3.
A bolt of Holland clayth 1580 Treasurer's Accounts MS. 362.
Ane bolt of silkin rybbennis to his hienes masking claithis contening xviij elnis 1581 Ib. 902.
Twa bowltis of quhyet lerykynnis to lay vpoun the doublettis, at xls ye bowlt 1584 Edinburgh Testaments XIV. 133 b.
Thrie dosane ane half of boultis rubbanes for fauouris. The dosane of boltis coist xlij s. greit 1589 Treasurer's Accounts MS. 157 b.
Ane bolt prettikkis of syluer of sex scoir elnis 1647 Edinburgh Testaments LXIII. 50.
Twa bolt of buit tages [= boot-tags](b) 1506 Rentale Dunkeld MS. ii b.
Lie bowt fustian quindecim vlnarum 1536 Treasurer's Accounts VI. 451.
Tene bowtis of cammes to be salis 1562 Ib. XI. 204.
Item twa bowtis of blak threid 1562 Ib.
xii bowtis of quhaill horne to be girdis to the vardingallis 1567 Edinburgh Testaments I.* 59.
Nyne bowttis of quhyte gairting worsate price of the bowt, thrie s. vi d 1574 Ib. III. 143 b.
Thrie boutis narrow ribbennis of scheitis 1610 Hilderstoun Silver Mines II. 112.
Ane bowtt of twyne to bind the bussomes 1622 Edinburgh Testaments LI. 153.
xlv bowt vntweillit worset at xiij s the bowt 1701 Fam. Rose 390.
3 ells silk lupen … and a boutt of knittings
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"Bolt n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bolt_n_2>
