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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ourset(t, v. Also: oure-, ou'r-, owr-, ore-; p.t. and p.p. -set(t. [Sc. var. of Overset(t; cf. e.m.E. oreset (1679).]

1. tr. a. To threaten defeat to, to press hard. b. To overpower, overwhelm, overthrow, overcome, defeat (esp. by force). c. To oppress.More freq. in passive.active c1450-2 Howlat 509 (A).
He … Our set all the Sathanas syde 1456 Hay I. 128/2.
The bonde is behaldyn to defend his lord gif ony wald ourset him or wrang him or to do him … vilany in his persoun Ib. II. 154/26.
Quhill he see his tyme to oursett thé and ourthraw thé Ib. I. 155/18. c1475 Wall. viii. 167. ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 80.
Ane … memoriall At Saxounis had ourset ȝow all … Ȝe war put syn in subiectioun 1513 Doug. xi. Prol. 122.
He [Satan] sall thé nevir ourset but thy consent a1538 Abell 70 b.
Bot alace thai ar now tormenturis to thame … , oursettis thame be hie maill ferme and gersum … sa that thai maye scantlie get thare nedis of nature 1533 Boece ii. v. 67 b.
I think na thing mare facill than that we sall ouresett ȝone tratourispassive (1) a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 772.
& a lyone in that sythware Oure-set in his mouth hynt me & to the wod fast can fle c1450-2 Howlat 519 (A).
Sen I se thé ourset … I sall devoid thé of det Or de in the place Ib. 524.
Thai war samyn ourset thairfor I murn sore 1456 Hay I. 137/12.
Gif … that he be of sik mycht that he will do it [assist another in war] for … pitee traistand that he is ourset wrangwisly a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 245 (B).
Cry crauch thow art our sett 1533 Boece Proh. 6 b.
Nocht ȝit war Britouns herethrow aluterlie ouresett for … thay faucht contrare Inglis Ib. ix. v. 298.
Saxouns ouresett & war coactit to pay grete tribute(2) 1456 Hay II. 25/36.
Quhen a gude knycht is oure sett with oure grete powar and lesse has of help and of falouschip to supple him Ib. 46/22.
Quhen the king or his contree is oursett with … revaris or traytouris or other wikkit misdoaris Ib. 70/3.
Kepe well that castell place [sc. in one's heart] … that it be nocht our sett na segit with vicis c1475 Wall. i. 40.
Quhen it [Scotland] was lost with tresoune … Our-set be fais Ib. 146.
Scotland was lost quhen he was bot a child And our set throuch with our ennemys wilde Ib. ix. 367. 1513 Doug. xiii. iv. 43. Ib. v. 44. 1533 Boece ix. iv. 295.
Nocht mony ȝeris ar birwn sen Britouns … be ȝow war ouresett 1571–2 Reg. Privy S. VI. 290/1. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 57.
At the last the Frenchemen wes oursett be the lycht horsemen of Scottis and Inglis(3) c1475 Wall. i. 108.
Full gret slauchtyr … Off trew Scottis oursett with sutelte 1513 Doug. xii. v. 83.
Thar fa thai dyd assalȝe … quhil that by fors he was ourset 1533 Bell. Livy I. 239/2.
Thus was the left wyng of the Romanis sa ouresett with dynt of stanys 1533 Boece xi. i. 402.
Seing his landis ouresett be fyre and swerde

2. To overcome, cast down, incapacitate, discompose or disorder (physical or mental faculties). 1456 Hay II. 53/23.
Throu esperaunce the curage of knychtis is reinforssit and the curage of cowartis oursett Ib. 132/26.
Na to tak our grete habundaunce of metis till ourset his hete of naturale degestive Ib. 141/36.
And gerris his hert be ourset with hevy blude quhilk genderis in man raddour a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1517 (Harl.).
Witht syn thare sicht safer is now oursett Off schort lyfe chaungeable thai haue mar inly cure … Than other of hewin or hell 1513 Doug. vii. vii. 74.
Thy vile onweldy age Ourset with hasart hair and faynt dotage Ib. xii. xiv. 53.
Quhen langsum dravillyng or the onsond sleip Our eyn oursettis 1533 Boece iii. xx. 120 b.
Ane grevous malade … grew sua that the naturall poweris of his body tharethrow war oursett a1568 Scott xxii. 17.
Ay tresting for to speid I haif my harte ourset a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 404 (W).
Fuill haist aye … Oresettis [L. ouresyllis, Wr. ou'rsyles] the sicht of some

3. a. P.p. Overpowered, overthrown, overcome, pressed hard (by inanimate agencies). 1456 Hay I. 204/19.
Suppos a faithfull man be oursett and our thrawin with sudayn dede a1500 Henr. III. 106/10 (Makc.).
This warld … Ourset with syt and other synnys mo 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 92.
Be nevir our set [Ruddim. ouerset] … With lust of wyne nor warkis veneryane Ib. ix. vi. 19.
Ourset witht sleip and wyne Ib. i. ix. 33, ii. vii. 42, iv. ix. 2. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 58/21.
That vthir ouresett with bleding of his woundis Ib. 71/4.
Mony of thir pepill vagabound and ouresett with pouerte tuke wagis of the Sabynis Ib. 180/21.
For thai war ouresett and ayndles throw thare lang rynnyng afore thai jonit 1533 Boece i. viii. 53 b.
Thai thocht strange sic men suld be pynit and ouresett with seiknes 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix. 346. a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 284 (L).
Oursett [W. oresette, Wr. ou'rset] 1587-99 Hume 73/155.
Ov'rset

b. P.p. Overwhelmed, beaten and cast down (by hostile natural forces, as a flood, a storm etc.). 1482 Peebles B. Rec. I. 191.
And gif it happynnis that the sayd myln be owr set with fludis or spattis that the dam brek owt or to be owr cassyn with sand 1513 Doug. i. iii. 60.
With fludis ourset the Troianys and at vnder By flaggis and rayn dyd from the hevin discend Ib. ix. ii. 62. Ib. iii. 33.
So that tha schippis be nevir mair ourset With contrar curs nor ȝit with storm dovn bet 1533 Boece iv. xv. 150 b.
Sum schippis … war drevyn be violent seyis lows to sey war syne ouresett sank and drownit c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 998.
Ourset with snaw and blastis busteous

c. Of a storm or violent sea: To assail furiously, to overwhelm (a ship). 1513 Doug. i. iii. 49.
And the strang barge … The storm ourset [Ruddim. ouerset] raif rovis and syde semmys

4. To overcome, get the better of (a trouble, difficulty, temptation, etc.). 1456 Hay II. 53/24.
Gude hope gerris the knycht oursett grete travailis a1570-86 Kennedy Maitl. F. cxvii. 5.
Confes ouir synnis and Sathanas our-sett 1513 Doug. v. iv. 73.
Defend ȝou fra that kankyrryt kast And do ourset sa schaymful hard myschance Ib. viii. i. 91.
All sik mannans to ourset With devoyt supplications 1543 Corr. M. Lorraine 39.
Tak na displesour bot think to ourset this c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 36 a/96. a1568 Bann. MS. 54 a/67.
Quha dois in ȝowith inbring In aige he sall grit stormes do ouresett Ib. 89 b/31.
Chryst is of mycht … pryd to ourset

5. a. To pass over, leave out, omit (a topic). b. To put off, postpone. absol.a. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1251 (D).
Quharfor that seir I ourset now Passing aweye as superflew [L. hic tamen tamquam superflua sunt omissa] c1508 Ch. & M. Prints vii. c. 28.
And mony mo the quhilk I haue na space For to reherse … thar fore I mon our settb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xc. 62.
The synfull man that all the ȝeir our settis Fra Pasche to Pasche rycht mony a thing forȝettis