Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Bosum, Bosome, n. Also: bo(u)sume, bossome, boasome. [ME. bosum, bosom(e, early bosem, bosm, OE. bósum, bósm.]

1. The bosom of a person or a garment.(a) a1400 Leg. S. i. 52.
In his bosum ay he bare A sudare Ib. xxxviii. 499.
Natalia … in hir bousume gat it sone 1456 Hay II. 6/33.
He … tuke out a buke of his bosum 1490 Irland Mir. I. 115/17.
All gud persounis … in the … bosum of Abrahame c1500-c1512 Dunb. vi. 33.
A barell bung ay at my bosum 1513 Doug. i. xi. 47.
Sumtyme onwar hym in hir bosum held sche Ib. iv. i. 62.
The brycht teris … fillyt all hir bosum 1560 Rolland Seven S. 250/29.
In at bosum, and sine out at ȝour sleif 1562-3 Winȝet I. 10/6.
In the bosumis of thaim mony wayis deirbelufit a1605 Montg. Misc. P. vi. 10.
I feill a byll within my bosum beill(b) c1530-40 Stewart Maitl. F. lxxxii. 12.
The bischop … Ane ballat of my bosome drew 1596 Highland P. I. 172.
The deponer … greapit the said letters in his boasome

b. In various figurative uses. 1513 Doug. iii. ii. 56.
With blyth bosum the sam [grond] Sal ȝou ressaue 1542 Acts II. 415/1.
For … reductioun of thaim … to the bosum of halikirk a1578 Pitsc. I. 128/33.
God quho … ressawis mankynd to the bossome of his marcie 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 157 b.
Hir body to be bureit in the bosum of the erd 1596 Dalr. II. 471/20.
Sum he brocht hame agane to the … bosume of the true kirk 1627 Orkney Rentals iii. 86.
All chapellanries … ar inclosit within the bosome of the prowestis prowisioune 1656 Peebles B. Rec. II. 38.
The clerk [is] to put it in the bosome of thair seasings

2. The womb. a1500 Henr. III. 147/50.
Hir … madinhede God in hir bosum bracis 1513 Doug. x. Prol. 107.
Thow tuke mankynd … Inclosyt within a virginis bosum glaid c1515 Kennedy Asl. MS. II. 273.
The beriale bosome that our blis in bred 1535 Stewart 32587.
Thair … sonnis als [that] of thair bosumis thai bair 1560 Rolland Seven S. 140/3.
For the lufe thow suld haue To me, [that] … Of my bosum as ane bab did the beir

3. A bay or gulf; a bend of a river. 1513 Doug. i. iv. 10.
Within, the watir in a bosum gays 1513 Doug. vi. ii. 114.
Cochytus, with his drery bosum onrude, Flowis enveroun 1533 Bell. Livy II. 198/31.
The bosum of the seyis quhare the Venycianis duellis 1596 Dalr. I. 13/21.
Twa gret bosums ar in the sey, quhilkes we commonlie call lochis of salte water 1597 Prestwick B. Rec. 83.
Fra the sie syid sa fer as the bosum of the sie flowis & ebbis to the landis

4. A fold in a garment. 1596 Dalr. I. 93/25.
Of linnine … thay maid wyd sarkis with mony bosumis

5. Attrib. with bill, chimney. 1587-99 Hume 74/192.
Euen they themselves the ordor partlie spils, With bringing in of heapes of bosome bils 1681 Alford Rec. 322.
Ane inner chamber with a back and bosome chimney