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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.

Grain(e, Grane, n.¹ Also: grayn(e. [ME. grayn(e, greyne (c 1290), OF. grein, grain, a grain or seed, grain(n)e, seeds collectively.]

I. 1. A seed; the seed of a particular plant, the berry of a tree. c1450-2 Howlat 28.
Girs gaye as the gold and granes of grace c1500-c1512 Dunb. xii. ii.
Deth followis lyfe with gaipand mowth, Devoring fruct and flowring grane 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 126.
The roys knoppys … Kest fragrant smell amyd from goldyn granys Ib. 255.
Welcum, confort of alkynd fruyt and grayn 1527 Douglas Corr. 120.
Licence to Alexander Kay to by all maner of granes and vittalis in … Ingland, bringing and furing of the samyne in … Scotland 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest. 19.
Fyre made of … the tre and granis of iuniper 1572 Sat. P. xxx. 148.
Thair mon ȝe grant thair ground all gude as ȝours; Bot, quhair ȝe gat thame, wald ȝe flour the grane? 1622-6 Bisset I. 43.
Na seid salbe sawin, quhill it be puryfeid fra all noysum granisfig. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 938.
The grane of grace, of syn remissoun c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxv. 72.
Haile, … Spyce, flour-de-lice of paradyse That bair the gloryus grayne

b. In the phr. crop and grayne: see Crop n. 1 c.

2. The seed of cereals; coll. corn, grain. 1477 Edinb. Chart. 141.
The mele merket of all grane and cornes 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 14.
Of wikkyt grayn quhou sal gu de schaif be schorn? 1632 Lithgow Trav. II. 66.
A girnell for grayne

3. pl. a. Grains of Paradise. c 1489 Liber Aberbr. 262.
Item, 1 li. granis i merk 15.. Edinb. B. Rec. I. 241.
For the custome … of pepper, cummyn, alome, gynger, granys … and vthir sic thyngis 1546 Ib. II. 125.
Clowes, cannell, mases, granes, mugallis, saffroun and siclylke 1626–7 Glasgow Chart. II. 581.
Annetis 20 lb. wecht, granis 30 lb. wecht, cramerie 4 lb.

b. The refuse of malt left after brewing; draff. 1529 M. Works Acc. I. 12.
To the browstar of the abbay brevhous for granis this olk to the said vij cart hors, iij s 1672 Melrose R. Rec. II. 298.
A cairt full of grains, … ane burding of grains

4. A small nugget (of gold). 1562 Treas. Acc. XI. 232.
To Iames, Erle of Murray, be Johnie Aitkinsone, maister cunȝeour, ane grane of gold weyaud ane unce ij deneris

5. The smallest unit of weight. 1539 Treas. Acc. VII. 163.
Ane uther carkane weyand viij crounis v granis 1540 Acts II. 373/2.
The croune of the sone is commounlie refusit within this realme, it wantand ane grane of the wecht 1584 Ib. III. 311/1.
To be cunȝeit … grottis at aucht penneis the pece … with twa granis of remede of fynes 1593 Ib. IV. 48/2.

II. 6. The scarlet dye made from the kermes (believed to consist of seeds or berries); any similar fast dye or colour. In phrases with in (freq. ingraine) of, out of.(a) 1435 Exch. R. IV. 628.
Pro octo ulnis panni bruni de grayne 1490 Treas. Acc. I. 155.
For ij elne of murray claytht in grayne 1587 Edinb. Test. XVII. 161 b.
Ane clok of violet ingraine 1612 Bk. Rates 327.
All vthir satyne of the lyke making, out of grayneattrib. 1503 Halyb. 270.
xv Flemys ellis of grayne claitht wiolet(b) 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 117.
The honest burges cled … Sum in scarlot, and sum in claith of grane 1540 Treas. Acc. VII. 311.
Item, vij elnes reid velvet of grane 1569 Ib. MS. 210.
iij elnis … of violat ingrane to Donald Gormis wiffe