Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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Belt, v. Also p.p. belt. [Northern ME. belt (c 1300). also e.m.E. and mod.E., but in older use chiefly Sc.]

1. tr. To surround. encircle; to gird (a ship). c1420 Wynt. i. 1046.
Syn Lytyll Asy lyis … Nere beltyde wytht the se abowt c1420 Ib. 1252.
The Mekyll Se wyth-out, Beltand all the erde abowt c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts xxvii. 17.
Thai vsit helpis, belting [Wycl. girdinge] togiddir the schip 1536 Bell. Boece I. 117.
They wer belttit about on every side with ennimes afore thay wist 1536 Ib. II. 51.
Ambrose … beltit the castel with strang sege 1596 Dalr. II. 328/26.
[It] was appoynted to belt the Inglismen round about with men of weir

2. To gird (a person or garment) with a belt; spec. to invest with a belt on being made an earl. c1420 Wynt. vii. 1998.
Hawand … gluwys on his handys twa, Beltyd wyth his suerd alsua c1420 Ib. ix. 1859.
Schir Davy de Lyndesay Wes Erle maid that yere … Off Craufurd, and he beltit swa c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix. 232.
Wallace … The best is callyt this day beltyt with brand c1515 Asloan MS I. 242/26.
Thair was maid in the forsaid parliament thre erllis, viz. schir Iames Crechtoun … was beltit erll of Murray [etc.] 1513 Doug. iv. v. 159.
Belt he wes with a swerd of mettale brycht 1570 Sempill Sat. P. xii. 115.
Sum happis thair heidis, sum beltis thame vp in gounis 1583 Ib. xlv. 574.
A cott of kelt Weill beltit in ane lethrone beltfig. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Eph. vi. 14.
Be ye beltit [Wycl. gird] about your lendis in suthfastnes 1531 Bell. Boece I. 275.
Belt you … with manheid 1531 Ib. II. 8.
Belt you with gud hoip 1551 Hamilton Catechism 267.
Belt our loynyeis with verite

3. To secure with a belt; to fasten to the person by means of a belt. 1513 Doug. i. vii. 132.
Of gold tharon was belt a rych tyschay 1513 Ib. ii. x. 198.
Abowt me than my swerd I belt agane c1550 Rolland Court of Venus i. 163.
Ane sword was belt about his [body]

b. To set (a siege) round about a place. a1578 Pitsc. I. 19/20.
We haif the seige evin belltit about the wallis a1578 Ib. 21/31.
The gouernoure had beltit the seige about the castell

4. To beat or thrash with a belt. a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow ii. 157.
Than wald scho preis belt me in angry wys 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1347.
Cum thow this gate againe, Thy buttoks salbe beltit a1585 Polwart Flyt. 59.
Whether thou wilt let belt thy bawes a1585 Ib. 761.
And thou bark, I sall belt thee 1601 Elgin Rec. II. 88.
James Vauis … ordenit to be beltit be the maister off the Grammer Schole 1649 Rogers Soc. Life Scot. II. 217.
[A child] comitted to Alexander Cuming to see him belted be his mother