Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mat, n.¹ Also: matt(e, matth, mate; mait. [ME. and e.m.E. mat, matt(e, OE. matt, meatte, late L. matta.]

1. A mat.Principally, one used as a floor or table covering. Also buird mat. 1436 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 138.
[For the high altar] quinque pecie de viridi matys 1499 Halyb. 162.
A mat to his chamer off xx fut lang and alls brad 1498 Ib. 165. 1533 Boece x. xiv. 380 b.
Apon ane burde or flaik coverit with ane mat or mantill onelie suld be maid thare bed 1553 Old Ross-shire I. 264.
Thre matts sex hundryth punds of hemp 1615 Edinb. Test. XLIX. 14.
Ane buird matth price xiij s., Item tua buird knaifis 1623 Fraser P. 236.
Ane mat of reid camlett wrocht with silk. … Twa coddis with ane quhytt rooge and ane greine matt and ane yallow matt 1638-54 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 602.
[The king] was found … laying in a nastie roume, one ane old bolster aboue a matte of segges and rushes

b. spec. A mattress or (usu. padded or stuffed) underlay for a bed. c. ? Also, a (? quilted) bed-cover. 1538 Treas. Acc. VII. 90.
For ane steik of quhite fustiane deliverit to the tapisschare to mak ane mat to Lady Jane to ly upoun, and ane bowstare, price thairof, l s. Ib.
For noppis to fill the said mat 1538–9 Ib. 137.
For ane liticamp bed to thame … to be ane matt to thame, xvij elnis ½ elne of quhite fustiane, … for viij elnis of canves to lyne the matt witht 1561 Inv. Q. Mary clxii.
Mattis, palleissis and bousters 1565 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 24 b.
In my lordis chalmer ane bed with curtingis of ȝallow seck with ane mait of tafitie 1566 Hay Fleming Q. Mary 499. 1566 Treas. Acc. MS. 61.
Tuay stane of woll to putt in the matt 1580 Coll. Aberd. & B. 391.
Ane of the purper veluot beddis … , curtingis, coddis, matt, knappis [etc.] 1632 Inv. Newark 6 a.
Of steikit mattis of quhyt bumbassie 1648 Linlithgow Palace 331.
Ane canabie bed furnished with … ane pair of blanketts and ane yellow mate 1658 Boyd Fam. P. No. 236 (27 Feb.).
A sattin matt of red and yellow lyned with taffitie 1663 Kirkcudbr. Min. Bk. 187.
Ane old silk quilted mat being of ane izabella collour 1663 Inv. Lord J. Gordon's Furniture (OED.).
In the lairner, ane mat and ane pair of blankets

d. Attrib. and comb.Also Mat-bed n.(1) 1562 Treas. Acc. XI. 183.
xij elnis of smale canwes to be matclaith 1614 Edinb. Test. XLVIII. 3.
Ane grein mat covering … ane blew mat covering 1639 M. Works Acc. MS. XXIX. 2 b.
iiij thowsand matt nailes at xl s. the thowsand(2) 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 78.
To Johne Hay and Henry Bellenger matleyeris for their waigis 1633 Ib. MS. XXVII. 18 b.
For carying of the matlayeris grath to Dumfermleing, xx s.

2. a. ? One of the webs of coarse yarn used to protect certain parts of a ship's rigging from chafing (e.m.E., id., 1497–). b. In plur.: Matting, coarse fabric (here used to plug gaps in caulking a ship). 1508 Treas. Acc. IV. 47.
For iij stane small takill and for mattis to hir [the Raven] 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 63 b.
For matis to pak our cofing

3. A sack made of matting, used to hold small loose goods. 1685 Inverness Imports May (Reg. H.).
A matt hards … tuo litle mattis hards 1694 Dunbar Social Life I. 148.
400 lb. pannbrass, weell sorted, about 70 lb. weight in every matt Ib. 149.
6 lb. cannell, in three matts Ib.
Mark all the casks and matts thus, W K