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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
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Prince, Prins, n. Also: prynce; Prence. Plur. also princesse. [ME and e.m.E. prince (a 1225), prynce (c 1275), prins(e (1340–70), pryns(e (c 1315), princs (Cursor M.), F. prince (12th c. in Littré), L. princeps.] A prince.

1. A King, hereditary monarch, sovereign.In usual applications and collocations: Cf. King n.¹(1) 1375 Barb. xvii 912 (E).
He wes worthi a prynce to be 1402 MacRae Early Sc. Texts No. 9.
For the saul of the excellent prince Robert … qvhilom king of Scotland c1420 Wynt. vii 1201.
That prynce [sc. King David] excellent in wysdwme c1450-2 Howlat 904 (A). 1456 Hay I 236/23.
That the bischoppis … ar nocht subjectis to na temporale princis Ib. II 146/33.
The quhilk sall mak interrogacion of all princis dedis of justice straytelyar na of othir mennis dedis Ib. I 184/33. 1459 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 60.
Possessionis gyfyn to the sayd abbay … be nobyll and deuote prynces a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 236.
The prince provit in prese, that prise wes and deir Ib. 1207. 1490 Irland Mir. 11/34. 1494 Loutfut MS 2 a.
Part maid to princes or vther lordis or jugis c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii 166.
Haill princes dochtir deir 1513 Doug. iii iii 38, vii x 38. 1531 Bell. Boece II 481.
Bot ay luif and loif thé as maist nobil and worthy prince to jois thy realme Ib. 117. Id. Livy I 123/14. 1549 Compl. 134/31.
There for I hed leuyr indure ȝour exactions nor til hef ane var prince in ȝour place Ib. 11/8. a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. cxi 28.
Sa sould na prince nor magistrat … Hurte thair inferiouris Id. Maitl. Q. vi 44.
Ȝour quene hes chosin hir ane feir Ane potent prince 1562-3 Winȝet I 44/9. 1565 Reg. Privy C. I 373.
The … illustir Princesse Henrie and Marie, King and Quene of Scottis 1568 Buch. Indict. 40.
It ves ane rowme vnganand to haif lugit ane prince in to 1570 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 656/2.
All thingis done … during any princes lesaage 1563-72 Ferg. Tracts 48.
In the palaices of princes 1570 Leslie 269. a1578 Pitsc. I 194/10.
For to disawe thair maisteris and princis Ib. 413/24.
Of princeis courtis the instabilitie 1596 Dalr. II 122/3. 1622-6 Bisset I 26/15. 1668-9 Fraser Lawfulness Separ. 30. 1669 Jus Populi 142.
The covenant or compact which is betwixt prince and people(b) 15.. Clar. i 268.
For I to ȝow was no comparisoune, Sa monie prinsis … Ȝe had in proffer(2) 1456 Hay II 12/31.
Till God, and till his prince 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 527.
Quhat gret mysreule, in to this regioun rang, Quhen our ȝong prince could noder spek nor gang 1551 Hamilton Cat. 197.
As … all men of weir … beiris apon thame thair princis baige 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS III xlix.
Sa may ȝe … haif ws alwayis your guid and loving princes a1578 Pitsc. I 220/26.
Ȝe ar all … tratouris to ȝour prince Ib. 106 (I). a1586 Kamington in Geneal. Setoun 39.
Thy name … be bloode is bound Unto thy prince 1619 Garden Elphinstoun 1159.
He forder to his prince Intearlie dois intreat [etc.](3) 1456 Hay I 252/6.
But ordinaunce or speciale commissioun of the prince Ib. 276/3. a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxiv 22.
Pas to the prince to him ȝour caice lament Ib. clxxvii 3.
Thocht to the princis place thow be promowit 1558-66 Knox II 316.
Be this lynk hes God knytt togitther the prince and the people 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS III xlix.
To mak the prince obey and the subiectis to command 1585 in Calderwood IV 291.
As for the prince's intentioun to call assembleis upon supplicatioun 1587 Carmichael Etym. 15.
Diploma, the princes patent 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. ii xxviii §1.(4) 1456 Hay I 108/30.
Na man … bot he that is lord and prince of the lawe Ib. 207/33.
A citee that has na lord na soverane prince atour thame Ib. 209/25; II 98/31. 1513 Doug. x v 4.
Eneas, the Troiane prynce and lard 1531 Bell. Boece II 482. 1535 Stewart 52868.
He gart thame sweir … to knaw him for thair prince and king Ib. 37395. 1617 Welcome to K. James in Fugitive Poetry I 110.
Thou art our lord, our kyndlie king, our prince 1628 F. A. Baillie in Cath. Tr. 273/29.
Their more then Turkish ingratitud towards their natiue princes & souerains(5) 1400 Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 44.
Excellent mychty and noble prince [sc. Henry IV] likis yhour realte to wit that [etc.] 1424 State P. MS (Reg. H.) No. 15.
Rycht … excellent prince oure doutydest legislorde kyng 1450 Acts II 39/1.
Be a ful hee & ane excellent prince, James the secunde … King of Scottis 1456 Hay I 2/32.
Maist hye prince I am callit be my richt name Bonnett priour of Sallon c1460 Regim. Princ. 48 (Marchm.).
O prince, think quhi thi crown was giffin thé til 1490 Irland Mir. I 5/1. a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. vi 55.
O michtie prince and spous to our maistres Ressaue this realme 15.. Clar. iv 2650.
My father deir, My soverane lord and prince most inteir a1578 Pitsc. I 131/18.
Maist invincibill and potent prince(6) 1456 Hay I 125/18.
We mon graunt that the king is prince of all his realme Ib. 291/29.
[The Emperor] is callit … prince of all the warld and lord 1495 Acta Conc. I 400/1.
Als lang as the … trewis standis betuix prince & prince of Scotland & Ingland 1533 Boece 461 b.
Fleanc … fled to Walis and … with the prince [L. domino] of the cuntre was resauit in houshald a1538 Abell 79 b.
Prince of the Christin men passin to win the halie land … wes … Godoffreid the Duke of Bolon 1567 G. Ball. 12.
The Deuill, … Quhilk of this warld is prince and king a1578 Pitsc. I 106 (I).
Be the gret liberallitie of the princeis of Scotland(7) proverb a1487 Gud Wyf & D. 4.
Quhilk … makis pouer women princes peir

b. Applied to: a female monarch, a queen or princess.In quot. 1563 perh. intended as plur. of Princes(s n. 1558 Chron. Fortirgall 128.
Marion, Prins of Scotland and dochthyr til Kyng James the fyft vas mareyd in France vyth the daffyn 1563 Reg. Privy C. I 244.
Bot that perfyte ordoure may pas fordwart according to the mynd and plesour of the tua princes without debait 1571 in Bann. Trans. 94.
When they there prince so piteouslie In prisone strong had brought Abuset hir, accuset hir [etc.] 1596 Dalr. II 263/8.
Our quene now at her first birth keipet her dauchter the ȝoung prince in the palice of Lithquow

2. A ruler of a more or less independent small state or principality, who is regarded as ranking below a king.In the titles Prince of Wales and of Cumber(land), passing into styles of the heirs apparent of the kings of England and of Scotland respectively.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii 183.
I wald … haf sene Princis, dukis, & erlis sere [etc.] c1400 Troy-bk. ii 1091.
Kynges and prynces der That … present wer ?1438 Alex. ii 4986. 1456 Hay I 241/20.
Quhare all princis, lordis, capitanes and knychtis suld sett thair besy cure a1500 Colk. Sow Prol. 3.
Magnificat crownit kingis in maieste Princis, duces and marquis curious a1500 Bk. Chess 2182.
Pur men … has put dovne Kingis, princis and gret men of degre 1513 Doug. iv i 73.
Nowthir prynce nor duke to tak as for husband a1568 Scott i 186.
Imbassattis … For mariage, frome princes, dukis, and kingis(2) 1375 Barb. iv 76 (E).
The eldest and aperand ayr … , Schyr Eduuard callyt off Carnauerane, … Prynce off Walys that tyme wes he 1456 Hay I 125/33, 35.
And all this that we say of the king we say of othir princis that ar princis in thair awin contreis, hafand nane atour thame in soverayntee, as is the Erle of Fois, the quhilk is Prince of Bearn, in the quhilk he has privilegis of Emperour 1531 Bell. Boece II260.
King Duncane maid his son Malcolme Prince of Cumbir to signify that he suld regne eftir him 1535 Stewart 39880.
Malcome the eldest, prince wes of Cumberland c1590 Fowler II 148/17.
Secretar to Pandolpho Petrukci, Prince of Cienna

3. The heir apparent to the Scottish throne, or, latterly, that of both kingdoms; latterly more fully and formally styled the Prince (and Stewart) of Scotland.(1) 1483 Acta Conc. II cxxxii.
The lordschip and landis … quhilkis war gevin … to our said soverane lady … quhil the age of our said lord the prince 1487 Acts II 181/2.
Anent the mariagis of our souuerane lord and our lord the prince his son 1488 Ib. 210/2. 1488–9 Acta Aud. 121/2.
And vtheris annext to the princis landis 1489 Ib. 130/2.
The said landis of our souerane lord the tyme he wes prince 1489 Acts II 221/2. 1493 Ib. 236/1.
All alienatiounis maid of ony heretage annext to the prince secund persoun of the realme 1506–7 Treas. Acc. III 370. 1507–8 Ib. IV 70.
To foure rokkaris of the princis, ane ȝeris fee 1540 Ib. VII 320.
For covering of my lord princis cradill c1575 Balfour Pract. 134 marg.
The prince's propertie may not be disponit be the king as king 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 23.
The quenis grace was lichter of ane young prince in Sanctandrois … and [he] was nameit James, Prince of Scotland Ib. 103. a1578 Pitsc. I 203/11. c1590 Fowler II 180/27.
Where the prince was lying on his bed of estate 1595 Glasgow Burgesses 21.
The glaid tydens of the princeis birth 1603 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 673/1.
Laundresse for the bordes of the prince and howshould c 1613 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 52.
There is mutche dealling … for to have the prince in mariage c1650 Spalding II 56.
The Erll of Hairtfurde, keipar of the young prince 1680 Cunningham Diary 134.
Holding taxtward of the prince(2) 1531 Bell. Boece II 497.
Thus entrit Prince James [sc. James I before his coronation] in Scotland, and come, on Care Sonday in Lentern to Edinburgh(3) 1613–14 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 349.
In the prince laich chalmer fyve lossinis, v s. 1615 Ib. 375.
For … bigging up some of the bartisines of the Princes Towr(4) 1582 Buchanan Hist. vi 105 in Opera Omnia I (ed. Ruddiman, 1715).
Ita Milcolumbus Regis filius … & Cumbriæ præfectus, & Princeps Scotorum est declaratus: quod nomen perinde est Scotis, atque apud Gallos Delphinus, apud priores Rom. Impp. Cæsar … quibus omnibus successor superiori magistratui dari intelligitur c1575 Balfour Pract. 134.
Landis of the principalitie, that is, landis pertening to the prince, as Prince and Stewart of Scotland, may not be … disponit be the king c1590 Fowler II 183/24.
God saue Frederik Henrie … Prince of Scotland Ib. 169/4, etc. c1612 Skene Memorabilia 16.
The Prince of Scotland Henricus Fridericus is titillit Duk of Rothesay … and Steward of Scotland 1621 Acts IV 605/1.
To his hienes Charles, Prince & Stewart off Scotland Ib. 633/1. 1680 Lauder Notices Affairs I 276.
They answered, they [sc. the inhabitants of Newton upon Ayr] held of the Prince of Scotland 16.. Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. III 78. 1688 Alyth Par. Ch. 136.
Upon the birth of the Prince and Steuart of Scotland

4. A son of a king.Also, one who enjoys this rank. 1494 Loutfut MS 9 b.
That al kingis sonnys ar princis suppos thai be bot squyeris 1549 Compl. 3/13 (see Princes(s n. 2 (2)).

5. A ruler, governor, commander, leader, chief, more generally. a. With reference to persons or situations in ancient history. c1420 Wynt. viii 688.
Quhen Moyses and Eleazare And all [the] pryncys off Jowys ware … gadyryt 1456 Hay I 61/17, 211/7. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 1525.
With that com thair ane prince callit Haniball Ib. 1999.
The princis of this land ar all content a1500 Rauf C. 350.
Schir Rolland … Schir Oliuer … and bischoppis thre … Than to Paris thay pas … .Quhen thay princis appeirit into Paris [etc.] c1515 Asl. MS I 315/9.
Quhare King Pharo & all his princes & ost was drownit 1513 Doug. i Prol. 332.
With euery bonte belangand a gentill wycht Ane prynce Ib. i 10.
Fra quham … the faderis, princis of Alba [L. Albanique patres] Cam Ib. iv v 93. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. ix 18.
Lo a prince [L. unus princeps] com Id. Luke iii 1.
Quhen … Herode was prince [L. Tetrarcha] of Galilee Id. John iii 1.
Nichodeme, … a prince [L. princeps] of the Jewis 1533 Bell. Livy I 261/30.
The faderis and grete princis [L. patricii] of the ciete Ib. 122/24. 1533 Boece 323 b.
His cuntre molestit be diuers incommoditeis in defalt of ane prince [L. administratoris] to governe the samyn 1549 Compl. 14/11.
Prince Annibal

b. With contemporary or near-contemporary reference. a1400 Leg. S. v 418.
And with theffis in sik a hyll As prince is dwelland to do ill a1538 Abell 121 a.
In Rome … thare suld duell the prince of halie kirk c1552 Lynd. Mon. 26.
Go first tyll Iames our prince and protectour [sc. Arran] And his brother our spirituall gouernour 1596 Dalr. II 280/30.
Thair princes and gouernouris war Euen Allenson, Ronald Makoneilglas and Johne Mudyard, throuch force occupieng the landes of the laird of Grant Ib. 285/20.
The king [sc. Henry VIII] … at requeist of sum of his princes … promiset [etc.] Ib. 426/20.
Monsour Martigious an honorable man and of gret vertue a worthie prince

c. A prince of the Church. d. Prince of the or a synagog.c. 1546 Lynd. Trag. Card. 59.
He did promoue me … One prince abufe all preistis for tyll ryng Arschibyschope of Sanctandrous consecrat c1552 Id. Mon. 4284.
This potent pope of Rome … hes, in tyll ilk countre His princis of gret grauytie … his cardinallis … Archibyschoppis, byschoppis … With vther potent patriarkisd. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke viii 41.
And lo a man, to quham the name was Jairus, and he was prince of a synagog Id. Acts xviii 8.
Crispus, prince of the synagog

6. a. Applied to Christ as sovereign or ruler of creation etc. (cf. senses 1 and 5), also as son of God the King (cf. senses 3 and 4).Also prince of joy, peace etc. (cf. other senses). c1500-c1512 Dunb. x 47.
In wirschip of that prince wirthy Qui nobis puer natus est Ib. lxxii 14.
Thai led that hevinlie prince most hie Ib. lxxxv 46.
Thow bair the prince of prys a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 205.
Thoucht he wes sone & prince to God eterne c1520-c1535 Nisbet III 276/36.
Prince of pece Id. Peter v 4. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1025.
That the immaculat uirgyng Sulde beir the prince omnipotent 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 167/36.
We haif seyn the prince of princis cum onto vs 1567 G. Ball. 44.
That prince on croce thay lyftit on hicht a1568 Bann. MS 21 b/2.

b. Prince of darknes, mirknes, hell.As descriptive designations of the Devil, an evil spirit, Pluto. 1513 Doug. xi Prol. 77.
Aganyst spretis and pryncis of myrknes 1535 Stewart 13407.
Beteiching thame to Pluto, prince of hell a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx 120.
In the warld the prince of darknes hes empyre

7. a. transf. The king, leader, chief, leading or foremost person (of some class of persons).(1) a1400 Leg. S. i 178.
Of the appostolis prince wes he c1420 Wynt. v 2577.
‘Off the appostillis prynce am I Petyr,’ he sayd ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 79.
O Lord Iesu, that tholit Peter, prince of the appostillis, to deny thé thris(2) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke iii 2.
Vndir the princis of preestis [L. principibus sacerdotum, Rh. high priests] Annas and Caiphas c1552 Lynd. Mon. 28.
Our spirituall gouernour And prince of preistis in this natioun [sc. Archbishop Hamilton] Ib. 3884.
The byschoppis, princis of the preistis, They grew so boildin(3) 1533 Bell. Livy I 208/21.
For thai wald nocht send … the princes of thir centurionis [L. centurionum principes] to desire batall

b. fig. The pre-eminent practitioner, most accomplished (of a class of persons); the most perfect exemplar, the paragon (of a quality).(1) 1513 Doug. i Prol. 3.
Maist reuerend Virgill of Latyn poetis prince [: eloquens] 1533 Bell. Livy I 7 heading.
Titus Liuius, prince of historiographouris(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxix 668.
Thane leid thai hyme in[to] the ton … & prince of knich[t]ed hyme mad c1500-c1512 Dunb. vii 81.
Prynce of fredom and flour of gentilnes Ib. viii 19.
The prince of knychtheid a1538 Abell 25 a.
Eftir him come prince of chewelrie Iuil Agricol

8. Attrib. with -dollour, -pasment.(1) 1598 St. A. Baxter Bks. 91 n.
[Amongst them two dollars, the] croce dolour [valued at 44 s. 8 d., and the] prince dolour [valued at 53 s. 4 d.] 1612 Edinb. Test. XLVII 87.
Nyntene angellis … aucht dollouris … xij prince dollouris … xvij swadin dollouris(2) 1621 J. Bell. Acc. Bk. in Glasg. Her. (1864) 25 June.
2 lib. 7 unce prince pasments at 26 sh. lib.