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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Discomfit, p.p. Also: dyscumfyt(e, discumfyt(e, -fyde, -fit, -feit, -fete; discomfyt(e, -fyet, -fite, -fitte, -feit(t; disconfyt(e, -fite, -feit, dis-, desconfeitt. [ME. discumfit (c 1300), -fyte, -comfit, -confit, etc., earlier deskumfit (a 1225), OF. descumfit, -confit, p.p. of desconfire to undo, destroy.]

1. Overcome in battle or contest; defeated.(a) 1375 Barb. iv. 280.
He … Sped hym in hy to the fichting, Quhar he discumfit wes & schent Ib. xiv. 322; etc.
It angerit him … That twis in-to battell was he Discumfit with ane few menȝhe a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 269.
[The devils] are discumfit schamefully Thru a ȝung maydine anerly c1420 Wynt. iv. 659.
Darius swa thare discumfyte Chasid fled till his schippis tyte Ib. 835, etc.
Sex hundyr thousand … In to that felde dede fundyn ware, Discumfyde in that juperdy ?1438 Alex. i. 1827.
Of his feris he dred him than, For drede thai sould discumfit be Ib. ii. 2.
Quhen Alexander … Had discumfit the duke Betys c1475 Wall. viii. 707.
Thus Wallace has in playn discumfyt … all his strang battaill(b) 1375 Barb. vii. 590.
Apon thame! for thai ar Discomfit all a1400 Leg. S. xxxvii. 274.
Sa sal thu persawe richt wele Thu art discomfit ilke dele c1420 Wynt. viii. 6650.
All thare rowte Ware discomfyt in feicht all owt ?1438 Alex. ii. 9319.
Sum war deid and sum war tane; Discomfit war thay euerilk ane 1456 Hay I. 47/11.
Quhen thai come in bataill agains the Romaynis, thai war discomfyt rycht vilaynsly Ib. 176/9.
Oft tymes mony noble men ar bakkit in bataill, and discomfyte 1570 Leslie 23.
Thair wes fochtin ane gret battell, and the Erle of Crawfurd wes discomfitte(c) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 747.
He wes … disconfyt vtrely Be George & his sorcery ?1438 Alex. ii. 2802.
Ane king … sone disconfit is, fra his Quhen he is left at grit mistere 1456 Hay II. 61/11.
And [= if] he had bene disconfyte and ourcumyn in bataill place and vencust c1615 Chron. Kings 52.
Camus, captane of the Danis, … wes disconfeitt neir vnto Barre

b. Of a battle: Ended by defeat. c1420 Wynt. viii. 3927.
Qwhen thus the fecht dyscumfyte was, The Inglis men folowyd on the chas 1456 Hay I. 58/17.
Quhen thai saw the bataill discomfyt, and thair faderis slayn c1550 Rolland C. Venus iv. 626.
Quhen the feild discomfit was and done a1578 Pitsc. I. 272/25.
We will return … to the feild as disconfeit on this maner

2. Overcome by dejection or failure. 1375 Barb. iii. 197.
And fra the hart be discumfyt, The body is nocht worth A myt Ib. vii. 358. c1420 Wynt. i. Prol. 46 (E²).
Sua throu folie or nycete I dout discomfit [R. confowndyt] for to be