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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Purchas(e, -ches, n. Also: -chace, -chasse, -chais; -ches(s)e, -chess, -ces; -cheis, -chece; perchas. [ME and e.m.E. purchas (1297), -chace (1303), -chase (14th c.); -ches (Cursor M.); also porchas (1297), -ches (1463), pourchas (1390); AF purchaz, OF por-, pur-, later pourchas masc. (12th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), f. porchacier, pur-, pourchassier, Purchas(e v.] Purchase, or a purchase, in various senses and applications.

I. The action of purchasing, in senses of Purchas(e v.

1. Effort to bring something about; endeavour; management of affairs; contrivance; machination; instigation.To ma(k (a certain, or a certain kind of) purches, to manage affairs so as to bring something about, to contrive, arrange. Variously const.Only in early verse. 1375 Barb. v 536 (E).
Ne war the king … Gat hale witting of his purchace, And how and for how mekill land He tuk his slauchter apon hand Ib. x 514 (C).
Bot fra he herd how Roxburgh was Tane with a trane, all his purchas With wit and besynes … He set to purches [him sum] slicht How [etc.] Ib. xix 12.
The lord of Sowlis … Of that purchas had mast defame Ib. 30, 32.
Scho … tald him werray takynnyng That this purches wes suthfast thing And quhen the king wist it wes swa Sa sutell purchas can he ma That he gert tak thame euirilkane a1400 Leg. S. xviii 383.
God of our wethyrwyne Grant til ws the our-cummyne & of his fals purches alsa For he cane fele buschment ma c1420 Wynt. iv 1232.
This Romane made than sic purches That [al]anyrly bot thai twa Togyddyr suld in batalle ga Ib. v 5591.
Thare was he slayne be fell purchas Off hys successowre Schyre Phocas Ib. viii 6721 (see Purchas(e v. 1 (5)). 14.. Acts I 348/2.
To sla lele peceable and rychtwis lifand men be invy and wickit purces [L. iniquam procurationem] throw covatis of thair wiffis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 422.
Gif pament or praier mught mak that purchese

2. Obtaining etc. in senses 2 and 3 of Purchas(e v. b. Acquirement of land other than by inheritance. c. Obtaining by intercession. a1400 Leg. S. xxvi 10.
& quhat parele man war in sted … & had ferme hope in Nicholas To be helpyne be his purches, In his lyknes God wald apere & gyf thame helpe 14.. Acts I 24/2.
It is lachfull and lefull till ilke burges to geyff or sell his lande the quhilk he has gottyn of purchas or of conquest 1480 Macleod P. (Reg. H.).
The quhilkis some … to be payt till ws … of thair awine propir guidis and wynis, and nocht of na purches nor ewill chewesans or menys of landis and guidis 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 253.
They … finding the bargan … cheap, made it for themselves … which was below the Lord Lovat ever to challange, but fraud and senistrous purchase

d. spec. Acquisition by payment, buying.To mak purches of, to serve to buy, purchase, buy. 1598–9 Glasgow Burgesses 26.
Fines applied by the bailies and council to the purchase of ane hogheid of hering to be sent east throw to the men of law 1630 Aberd. Council Lett. I 331.
Moneyes can mak no suire nor constant rent unlesse the same be imployit in heritable purches off lands 1632 Ib. 374.
That the moneyes be sequestrat on proffeit for sic space of tyme as the samen may mak purches of lands that will geve of … yeirlie rent ane thousand punds

3. Chiefly in the phr. (five, twenty etc.) ȝeris purchase: The annual yield of property, an annuity or some other source of income, used in stating a total price or amount. b. Also in pl.: Land as bought by this method of stating a price.As the first quot. refers to usage in England, this application perh. originated there, even though OED's earliest instance is only of 1584. 1571 Leslie in Misc. Bann. C. III 132.
For in bying of purchasses the commone use is to gif fywe ȝeris purchasse as they call it which is fywe ȝeris proffeit for a lyferent and xx ȝeris purchasse for heritages 1641 Reg. Great S. 370/2.
Ordinaverat dictam annuitatem ad lie fyftene yeirs purchas divendi 1669 Acts VII 577/1.
The relict … be also free of quot in so far as the inventar extends to fyve yeers purchase of the … liferent provided to her

4. ? Taking or seizing forcibly, capture by force.Appar. in allusion to the harrowing of Hell. a1568 Bann. MS I p. 18/12.
For now it is the tyme of grace, … The tyme of he conqueis and purchece Off the triumphand hevinly grace

5. a. Petition, entreaty, prayer. b. A petition, or the party of emissaries delivering it; a mission.Cf. Purchas(e v. 3. a1400 Leg. S. xliii 615.
That scho had mad purchas To God that scho mycht luf the space That scho mycht thaim til hym commend c1475 Wall. viii 1322.
‘We sall beseke the Pape … Till commaund pes … .' ‘Madeym,’ he said, ‘or your purches cum thar Mendys we think off Ingland for to haiff’

6. Off, in, on purchas, in concubinage, out of wedlock, as a bastard.North. ME (once, Cursor M.), otherwise appar. only Sc., OF enfant de porchas bastard child (13th c. in OED). c1420 Wynt. vii 375.
Thai [the sons of Malcolm] had a brodyr off purchas, That Malcolmys bastard sowne than was, Duncane cald Ib. 1251.
That wes bot Bethok … Hys dowchtyr gottyn on purches Ib. viii 5744.
Off that castelle wardane he made Willame the eldare off Dowglas That wes his brodyr off purchas a1500 Henr. Fab. 800 (Ch.).
Except ane sone, quhilk in adulterie He gottin had in purches priuelie 1513 Doug. ix xi 72.
Son to the bustuus nobill Sarpedon, In purches get a Thebane wench apon

II. That which has been purchased or acquired. 7. Something obtained, gained or acquired, esp. by one's own efforts; one's gains, winnings, acquisitions. ?1438 Alex. ii 2747.
Me think thow art of pure purches [F. pourchas] To help thy freind that mister hes c1420 Ratis R. 100.
Fore-thi, my suet sone, procur grace To be soferand of thi purches Ib. 640.
Sice dedis emples maist to grace That suld be lard to thi purches 1540 Lynd. Sat. 155.
Thocht I ane servand lang hes bene My purches [v.r. purchais] is nocht worth ane prene a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 66 (Wr.).
Some [bees] the waxie vessels wrought, Their purchase to preserveproverb 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 162.
My purches wes bettir nor my set rent a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 795.
He is als gud of his purches as of his set rent

b. ? Applied to a person whom one has gained or won over in some way: A ‘conquest’, ‘prize’, ‘bargain’. c1475 Wall. v 696.
Perchance ye think I war to law perchas For tyll attend to be your rychtwys wyff

8. One's supporters or backers, collectively.Cf. Purchas(e v. 5. c1420 Wynt. viii 2240 (W).
Wallas Persauit how he hatit was With the Cummyngis and thare purchas 1458 Peebles B. Rec. I 129.
That the sayd Thom suld be skathlas bot as the curs of common law askis of the sayd Doby and his purches 1492 Coll. Rebus Alban. 85.
And oblissis thame … to … defend ilkane utheris, thair men, kyn, freindis, pairty, purches and awerdance [? read anerdance] 1527 Fam. Rose 200.
His kyne, party, purcheis, and enyrdance 1549 Bk. Mackay 397.

9. An ecclesiastical dispensation. = Dispensatioun n. 1.Presum. so called because obtained by formal application and payment to the ecclesiastical authority; cf. Purchas(e v. 4. 1410 Red Bk. Menteith II 281.
And the said parties sal send til oure hally fadire the Pape message with al gudly haist for the purchesse of the said mariage to be fulfillit Ib. 282.
Qwhen the forsaid purches commis in Scotland for the said mariage fulfilling 1425 Montgomery Mem. 9.
Als, because of kynrend thar behufys to be a purchas and gif it may be gotyn in Scotlande, the said schir Jone … sal pay tharfor 1477 Stewart Mem. 74. 1523 Anal. Scot. II 50.
The said lady sall send to the Court of Rome, and get … ane purches and dispensatione

10. To leve upon (one's) purchas, to live a. ? by catching prey, taking plunder, b. on what one can obtain by one's own efforts, by one's own resources or expedients.Also in the later dial. in sense b. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1953 (H).
Ane reuand wolf, that leuit vpoun purche[s] On bestiall c1650 Spalding II 329.
Indeid he wes put to leive vpone his purchess, becauss he wold not follow his fatheris courss