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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.

Dres, v. Also: dress(e, drese. P.t. and p.p. dressit, drest, draist. [ME. dresse, dresce (c 1300), OF. dresser, drescer.]

1. tr. To put in place; to erect or set up. 1375 Barb. xvii. 372.
Thar men mycht se … Men assalȝeand richt hardely, Dressand vp ledderis douchtely Ib. 608.
Ane cren thai haf gert dres vp hey Rynand on quhelis ?1438 Alex. ii. 2189.
The counterfittit king him dressit on hicht Ib. 7287.
Quhen Alexander … Saw the standart dressed hey a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun 23.
The king of Ingland gart dress vp ane gallous … , and thair hangit thame

b. To direct; to turn a certain way. Also fig. a1400 Leg. S. xxxv. 185.
Ane, Paulus to name, … Til hewine dressit hart and sycht ?1438 Alex. ii. 8052.
The king dressit vp his visage Ib. 10479.
Sichand, he dressit vp his wis 1456 Hay II. 95/24.
Dres all thy mynde and thy cogitaciounis evermare to do wele 1513 Doug. iv. x. 108.
Help and support … The hevyn and starris [to] dres our vayage hens Ib. xi. xvi. 48.
Dres hyddirmar thy futsteppis towart me 1533 Boece i. ii. 35 b.
Gathele … made Hyber admirall of the navyn charging thai suld dres thair cours to the ile now callit Ireland c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2648.
Quhy do ȝe nocht the sempyll peple teche, Quhow and to quhome to dresse thaire orisoun?

2. To put in order, to arrange. 1375 Barb. x. 212.
Bunnok fast can him payn Till dres his menȝe in his vayn c1400 Troy-bk. i. 374.
Cowpis [were] out brought of gold sa clere, One towalle burdys arayit & drest 1456 Hay I. 114/3.
He [a knight] sould nocht dresse nane insicht in housis c1590 Fowler II. 109/1.
This knauledge … instructeth thé … how to drest [sic] thy batells, and beseage the tovnes

b. To put in good order or condition; to make fit for use by cleaning, adjusting, etc. (Very common in 17th c.) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lii. 11.
Ȝour hienes can nocht gett an meter … To rewle ȝour robbis and dres the sam 1513 Doug. iii. viii. 67.
Horssis ar dressit for the bargane feil sys 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1476.
I am the king Correctiouns boy, Cum heir to dres his place a1568 Scott ii. 89.
The fyre … [that] Thair dennaris suld haif drest and dicht 1591 Thanes of Cawdor 204.
To the cordiner for dressing and treing your buttis 1600 Crim. Trials II. i. 157.
He … went vp and brocht doun sum straberries and dressit fyve or sex disches of desert 1642 Baillie II. 20.
I may cause George dresse the studie in the stairhead c1650 Spalding I. 132.
Thay drest and clengit thair cairt peices 1668 Pr. Inchmahome 169.
To dress and repair the samen dask as ye shall think expedient 1672 Foulis Acc. Bk. 9.
To the wright for dressing some things about the house 1688 Ann. Banff I. 164.
To cause … dress the guns that they be keept from roustingfig. 1573 Cath. Tr. 5/15.
The veray trew God … dressis and puttis in ordour euill myndis be his prouidenceabsol. 1647 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 115.
To caus pleughe and harrow the Grein … and to dres about the stanke

c. To cut and smooth (stone for building). 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 103.
The masonis … that dres the allouring to Strivelin 1533 Boece ix. x. 312.
Ane plesing kirk craftely biggit of assillare weill hewyn & dressit 1532 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 58.
The saidis Jhonne and Bartrahame … sall wyn the stanys … in the querrell, and sall dres thame and lay thame 1591 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 459.
To thre massouns dressing aislar stanes

d. To make ready, prepare, fit up. ?1438 Alex. i. 2981.
With that, withoutin mare delay, Thai dressit thame for thair iusting 1456 Hay I. 54/8.
He … dressit him to the bataille c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxii. 48.
Think ȝe nocht schame, That for the poore hes nothing drest 1533 Boece iii. xxi. 122 b.
Lang experience & vse in were to Romanis dressit ane reddy way to victorie a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xvi. 11.
Go dres ȝour hors, ȝour harnes, and ȝour geiris To rin at listis a1578 Pitsc. I. 286/10.
Schir Androw Wode … dressit his schipis to pase fordwart a1585, a1568 Montg. Psalm lvii. 35.
A ditche is drest For me — bot, loe! my foes therein doe fall 1653 Hope Diary 156.
I … being about to cause dresse a chambre for my nephew

e. To furnish with some addition or appendage. 1513 Doug. xii. ii. 92.
The byssy knapys … thar crestis hie Dressys with trelȝeis and camys honestlye 1596 Fraser P. 229.
Ane mekill Inglis bybill drest with ane selich skyn 1652 Edinb. Test. LXVI. 159.
Sewine chyres dressed with searge and freinȝies

3. To arrange (matters or affairs); to bring to a satisfactory state or conclusion. (Common throughout the 16th c.) c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 52/22.
Thus all thi werkis thou suld ordane and dres actually, habitualy, or vertualy in God 1531 Bell. Boece I. 69.
He counsalit him … to dres all gret materis be himself, and the small materis to commit to his nobillis 1533 Boece i. iii. 36.
In this sort all thingis [being] dressit to gude poynt Ib. v. iii. 1.
Quhen the Empriour had dressit all his affaris, … he departit to Westmorland c1550 Rolland C. Venus II. 45.
Sa far as ȝe ȝour mater will propone, It salbe drest, and ȝe ȝour self depesched 1566 Inverness B. Rec. I. 131.
For dressing and ordering sic cummerse as chancit at the tyme a1578 Pitsc. II. 14/2.
That causit him … be contentit to cheis certane commissionaris to dres the matter 1596 Dalr. II. 391/2.
The legatis … past to France to dresse, and decore the Quenes mariage 1607 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI iii.
All thair differences wald be setled and dressit with their awin freyndisabsol. 1596 Dalr. II. 445/2.
He sendis Bischop Monluch … to … dres anent the transporteng of the armie frome the … bordouris

b. To contrive, bring about. 1567 G. Ball. 154.
Mannis saule suld lufe me best, Sen it my deide hes drest

c. absol. To make terms or composition. 1570 Sat. P. x. 294.
He tuke na rest, Till all that countrie had componit and drest 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 215.
Some hes dressed and componet privatlie

d. To lead by advice or persuasion. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 300.
At quhilk tyme your honouris drest hir … to yeild to our soverane lord the croun of this realme a1578 Pitsc. I. 293/14.
Androw Forman … spuritt haistalie to Glasgow to sie gif he micht drese the lordis to obey thair magistrat

4. refl. a. To direct, turn, betake (oneself) to or from a place or person. 1375 Barb. xiv. 247.
Quhen the erll wald sturdely Dres him to thame with his baner, Thai wald fle 1456 Hay I. 50/14.
He drest hym stoutly agaynis thame a1500 Henr. Fab. 909.
Thus dressit thay all furth for dreid of deid c1500-c1512 Dunb. xi. 36.
Quhen thow dois fro this warld thé dres Ib. xxxii. 67.
The wowf hes drest him to his den 1535 Stewart 19280.
And as he wes him dressand to the way, Fra Kent thair come … Ane messinger 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 44.
I … sa fra thame incontinent me drest Ib. 4188.
I … than hame did me dres a1585 Maitl. Q. xvi. 49.
Peter to Annas hous him drest

b. To set, apply, or address (oneself) to do something. a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 490.
Quhen ony wemen wil hir dres To do ocht Ib. xl. 101.
He … dressit hyme Rome to seke 1416 Liber Melros 539.
Be cause of hee and grete besines … we might noth gudli dresse vs to melle tharwith 1439 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 6.
Quha dressis thame to bye victuall c1450-2 Howlat 391.
Off the douchty Dowglas to dyte I me dres a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 404.
Scho dressit hir to ly In ane dark corner of the hous a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 469.
Thou suld behald How thai tham dres for to condampe the king 1533 Bell. Livy I. 279/25.
Quhen A. Virginius … was dressing him to procede in this iaw c1552 Lynd. Mon. 196.
Quhov everilke bird drest thame for tyl aduance, To salus Nature Ib. 2711.
To beild one citie, he hym drest 1596 Dalr. I. 252/8.
He dressis him selfe … to keip concord

c. ellipt. To proceed or prepare to act or be active. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 668.
When open maid was the entre, They dressed thame, as best myght be c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 226.
Dangere … departing coud hir dres, And me delyuerit vnto Hevyness 1535 Stewart 6896.
He dressit him rycht sone and suddanelie, Bot ony baid a1568 Scott vi. 20.
Scho suld my serwyce find als reddy As duke to duches docht him dres a1578 Pitsc. I. 355/6.
He draist him haistale and bunde to France 1596 Dalr. II. 75/10.
The Hammiltounis vrges the Douglas to dres him for the morne

d. To address (oneself); to apply. 1600-1610 Melvill 121.
Efter he fand nocht Curt as he luiked for, he drest him to the ministers

5. intr. To betake oneself. = 4 a. c1420 Wynt. iv. 1732.
Hanyball than prewaly Drest [v.r. drew] tyll hym agayne Scypion In tyll confederation c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxiii. 10.
Walk furth, pilgrame, … Dres fro desert, draw to thy dwelling-place

b. To set oneself. = 4 b. a1500 Colk. Sow i. 316.
Vthir sum in consate At leser drest to dance c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxviii. 7.
To dyt thocht I begowthe to dres, The sentence lay full evill till find 1513 Doug. iv. v. 120.
Mercur, but arest, Dressyt to obey hys gret faderis behest 1573 Sat. P. xl. 229.
[Thai] mon … na wayis dres to dant thame daintelie

6. tr. (and refl.) To attire, array, clothe. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 523.
That body, that ded was In riche atyre & dressit wele ?1438 Alex. i. 1246.
He drest him into his weid c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 377.
Lusty gallandis, That I held more in daynte … Ne him that dressit me so dink 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 303.
I irkyt of my bed, and … gan me blys, syne in my wedis dres 1533 Boece iv. xvii. 156.
He chargit thai suld … dres thame in harnes and recounter inemyis c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1031.
Scho rais, and in hir chalmer hir drest

b. To put on (armour). 15.. Clar. iii. 2357.
Syne lustillie he did his geir on dres, As flour of knichtheid

7. To deal with or treat harshly or severely; to maltreat. Also const. in. c1420 Wynt. ii. 704.
Thai, that come to spy That land, thai dressyt wnmoderly a1500 Henr. Robin & M. 53.
Robene, in dule I am so drest, That lufe wilbe my bone c1475 Wall. ix. 951.
Than Sothron saw off thar gud men so drest, Langar to bid thai thocht it nocht the best a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 998.
Thus drese thai wedis sa deir, That dantely wes dight c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii. 111.
Behald how Iowis hes drest Thy blissit saluatour Chryst Iesu 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1178.
Was neuer woman … Sa cruellie drest with ane vnfaithful man a1568 Scott xx. 37.
My corps … Quhy suld it so be drest Be thé, and daly pynd a1570-86 Maitl. F. cviii. 32.
It is petie the commownis for to heir How thai ar drest with thift and oppin reiff c1650 Spalding II. 356.
The Marques of Argile (haueing drest the place of Drum as ye haue hard) … marchis from the said houss touardis Kintar

8. To attend to, care for, cure. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 814.
Quhen the woundit men wer drest, And all the deand men confest 1567 G. Ball. 222.
Seing of paine I am drest, I haif obtenit all my pay a1568 Scott xx. 7.
Sen scho is merciles, … Quhilk suld thy dolour dres 1571 Sat. P. xxv. 64.
With help of God & France I sall, within ane litill space, Thy dolouris all to drese

b. To give redress to; to recoup. a1578 Pitsc. I. 322/20.
He dressitthe said bischope … for certaine teindis and tax that the bischope gaif him