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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.

Burreau, Burrio, n. Also: bourreau, bor(r)eau, borrew; bur(r)eaw, buriawe; burriow, burreo. [F. bourreau, earlier boreau.] An executioner.(a) a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 437.
In Parise wyth the maister buriawe [B. burreaw] Abyde, and be his prentice
1549 Compl. 27/9.
The cruel Inglis men, quhilkis ar boreaus ande hang men
Ib. 115/10.
The boreau hed strikyn the heydis fra the presoneris
1591-2 Rob Stene 13.
The borrew band thair handis, & went, And hangit thame incontinent
1591–2 Warrender P. II. 168.
Some of our maist unnaturall subjectis … hes adventured so farre … as to be burreaux and exectouris of thair cruell desseingis
1604-31 Craig iii. 13.
The wounds from Brutus (burreau most ingrate) Did grieue him most
1623 Crim. Trials. III. 548.
Thair guiltie conscience standing vp aganis thame, as ane burreaw to tak vengeance
(b) 1531 Bell. Boece I. 201.
The samin is punist condignely, … sen he was burio to himself mair schamefully than we micht devise
Id. Livy I. 61/8.
Cum hidder, thow burreo, and bynd this Horacianes handis
1570 Sat. P. xii. 8.
Hangman to Hary, now burrio to hir brother
1572 Ib. xxxviii. 42.
Nouther Turk nor Infidell vsis sic thing As be their awin burreo
1581 Burne Disput. 131.
Skarslie burreois could be fundin to satisfie thair inquensibil thrist of the innocent blude
1597 Reg. Privy C. V. 387.
[They] send for twa men with ane burrio, to have putt him to death
1625 Garden Kings 9.
Himselfe I urg'd and straited so, That he became his proper burreo
1619 Crim. Trials III. 474.
Playing the pairt of hangmen and burriowis
1629 Boyd Last B. 267.
To bee vexed for euer [in Hell] with the infernall burrios

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"Burreau n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/burreau>

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