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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.

Outrag(e, n. Also: outraige, -reage, outt-, owt-, ut(t)rag(e, utterage; and Oultrage. [ME. and e.m.E. outrage (c 1290), utrage (14th c.), oultrage (Gower), OF. ultrage, oltrage (11th c.), oultrage, utrage (12th c.), L. type *ultragium.]

1. Excess of boldness; foolhardiness, rashness, presumption. 1375 Barb. xix. 408.
For thame thoucht foly and outrage To gang wp to thame, till assale Thame c1420 Ratis R. 1545.
Bot lyf and lordschip and lynag War hail ourdone with gret outrag c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 3538.
Bot hichty men that pride dissavis ay Throw there outreage, suppois thai mony be Oft ar defoulit with ane few menȝie c1475 Wall. vi. 87.
Folow fortoun, and all hir feirs owtrage; Go leiff in wer, go leiff in cruell payne

2. Excessive or immoderate conduct, intemperance, extravagance; also plur., excesses. c1420 Ratis R. 294.
It at I call our-mekile thing Is outrag, our-gret ȝarnyng Als weil to do that suld nocht be Ib. 436.
Thow sall se few of gret outrage Oucht lange in gud heil lewande be a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 256 (Asl.).
And teche thair childer. … Thar innocens obserf ay but outrage a1568 Bann. MS. 86 b/99.
Constant faythfull bening without outrage 1573 P. McNeill Prestonpans and Vicinity 47.
His tongue weill taught but all outrageplur. 1456 Hay II. 71/22.
How thai suld eschew all outrages, carnall lustis and appetitis

b. Excess, want of moderation, more generally.Here, contextually, excessive severity. 1456 Hay I. 176/6.
As worthy man of were but outrage suld be haldin in free prisoun with plesaunce

c. At outrage, ? to excess, excessively. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 10422.
And gudly face nocht oure fatt nor our large Off quyk culloure nocht oure lang at outrage

3. Wrongful conduct, wrong, sin; also, an instance of this. 1375 Barb. xix. 304.
For me to think it war nane outrage Till fewar folk aganys ma Avantage, quhen thai ma, to ta c1420 Wynt. i. 496.
Off Came the nixt for hys owtrage [E. outtrage] Come serwytywde a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1352 (Asl.).
And ws refreyne fra all outtrage of syn Ib. 1472.
Allace this is a blyndnes our brutale Quhilk may be callit ane odious outrage a 1510 Aberd. Univ. Review XXXVI. 51.
Of wemen ys outrage and evele doing a1568 Bann. MS. 82 b/59.
Quhair tyme is nocht tane thris personis dois vtrage

4. Injury, offence, wrong, violence, against another. 1375 Barb. iv. 647.
Ȝe pas now furth … To venge the harme and the outrage [E. owtrag] That Ynglis men has to ȝow done ?1438 Alex. ii. 1834.
Or resist the Kingis great outrage Ib. 3083. Ib. 9217.
Outtrage 1456 Hay I. 47/14.
Thai realyd … and discomfyte the Romaynis and did thame grete outrage in playn felde of bataill place Ib. 186/2.
Quhen eveir ony prince passis for rychtwis caus … he aw … frely to have passage throu all realmes but questioun, doand nane outrage na exces c1475 Wall. viii. 1222.
Wallace to sic did neuir gret owtrage a1500 Lanc. 2576. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv. 534. Id. Seven S. 1648.
Quhair that he wald haue done to hir outrage [: allege] Ib. 4270. c1590 Fowler II. 25/5. Ib. 30/35.
The pepill astonyit at sic lawles outrage, be sa mony persounis aganist me alane execute

b. A wrongful act against another, a grievous injury or offence, an act of oppression; also, an act of violence. c1475 Wall. vi. 294.
To reyff that croune that is a gret owtrage Ib. xi. 812. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 22.
King Coyll, impacient to suffer this outraige [L. contumeliam hanc], maid him to [etc.] Id. Livy I. 30/24.
Nocht content to sitt with this importabil outrage c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1390.
That time quhen done wes the outrage [sc. a murder] 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 47.
And with thir outrages trauellit to vex his saule at his last braith Ib. 151.
For ȝe culd do me na greiter outrage nor giue mair mortall greif 1579 Reg. Privy C. III. 133.
Without his hienes … provide sum … summare remedie of this inordinat oppressioun and uttrage 1625 Garden Kings 59.
His montanares, of cruell kind … Rebellious … , There outrages he stopped and controld 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 198.
[The pursuer being a minister whose profession … should have secured him from] suche ane violent … utterage 1641 Acts V. (1870) 429/1.
The pitifull estate of the Britishe in Ireland be the … creuell outraiges of the Irish ther

c. A sense of injury, anger, rage.Also outrage (= angry outpouring) of wordis.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 4429.
For pure dispite and for outrage He was as quha war in ane rage 1560 Rolland Seven S. 211.
Giue place to ire, and harbrie not outrage 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 40.
To pusche heidlang ane hart for outrage not abill to governe it self(2) 1513 Doug. ix. x. 74.
Ascanyus ȝyng, byrnand for proper teyn, Sa gret owtrage of wordis mycht not sustene

5. Violence, fierce impetus (in human affairs). c1420 Wynt. iv. 2437.
The were than als cruell stude That nane wes till it off owtrage To sauff the gret were of Cartage 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 409.
The courte cheangeith sumtyme with sic outrage That few or none may makyng resistance c1552 Id. Mon. 1947.
Of weris … the gret outtrage Began in to the secunde aige