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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Remain, -man(e, n.¹ Also: ra-, rea- and -maine, -mayn(e; -mand; -myn. [MF remain (15th c. in Grandsaignes d'Hauterive), f. remaindre Remain v. Cf. e.m.E. remain (1529), -mayne (1558).]Appar. only Sc. till 1529.Sing., pl., and pl. in sing. sense.

1. That which remains or is left over (undestroyed, unused, etc.) of some thing or quantity of things.See the note to 4 below.sing. (1) 14.. Acts I 369/2.
Thane may he … tak thereof the soume till him of jt aucht gifand till him that jt laid in wed the remane therof gif ocht be attour 1493 Maxwell Mem. I 204.
The remane of the saidis hundreth pundis in vnicornys 1498 Acta Conc. II 195.
The sade James … to hald al the remane of the sade Wilyeame landis of Kylsyth 1520–1 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 61.
Ta boll of aytis for the remayn of the meill, the quhilk Jhone wald have tane 1525 Ib. 77.
Four bollis of auld malt sufficientlie preiffit … and the remayne of otherisvi bollis 1674 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 358.
[To pay £3 for] the remain of beir — 1497 Halyb. 82.
Rasauit … a pak of clath. … said the ramand … for 5 s. the dossin(b) 1448 Ayr B. Ct. 30 Sept.
And her of to the kyrk xx markis and the ramayn to the haiffing 1471 Ib. 7 Oct.
And the ramayn of the gudis … to be disponit apon the kirk werk 1497 Halyb. 132.
The ramyn off this pak sald it in Brugis(2) 1531–2 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 120.
That the said Martyn sal delieur and pay of sufficiant stuff xvi pekis of bere of auld remaynepl. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (O.U.P.) 134/18.
I trowit … That lang in burgh I sould have bruikit [the money]; Now the remanes ar eith to turs 1513 Doug. xi ii 82.
The remanys of hys harnes and geir, Syk as hys rych gyrdill, and cotarmour 1580 Edinb. Test. VII 359.
The remanes of ane carcage of beif saltit estimat to xl s. 1611 Dunblane Test. III 118b.
Scho leiwis to Marione … the remanes of hir bodylie claythis 1621 Edinb. Test. LI 111.
Certane remaines of maither and alme 1632 Ib. LVI 25.
Certane remanes of lickres

2. A piece of stuff left over after the rest has been used.Only in Edinb. Test.Chiefly pl.sing. 1572 Edinb. Test. II 257.
Ane remane of blew brounpl. (1) 1567 Edinb. Test. I 70.
Certane remains of holland clayth 1592 Ib. XXV 25.
Certane remanes of stringis of doublet breistis 1598 Ib. XXXI 322.
Certane cullouris remaneis of freid 1615 Ib. XLVIII 248.
Furtie tua elnis remaines of singill lillikinis 1618 Ib. L 163b.
Aucht elnis remanes of durato black 1621 Ib. LI 22.
Tuentie ane remanes of perpetuana of sindrie culloris at xl s. the elne 1626 Ib. LIII 344b.
Nyne ellis of remaines of freisadois 1628 Ib. LIV 280.
xlvj ellis remanis, cuttingis, and endis of cullouris of freis(2) 1572 Edinb. Test. II 240.
Ane pece of remains of the foure cullours 1643 Ib. LX 269b.
Twa peices of remanes of gene sey(3) 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 9.
lvj elneis in remaneis of broking stamyng

3. What is left of food after it has been chewed and swallowed. 1456 Hay II 123/26.
For the remaynis lyis lang in the law of the ground of the stomak

b. A surviving trace (of hope). 1685 Marchmont P. 55.
To lose the remaine of our hopes in one desparate attemp

4. The unpaid balance or remainder of an amount due, in money or in kind.Chiefly sing.Also const. of the thing for which payment is due. (Some of the examples quoted under (2) are ambiguous with 1, and may properly belong there.sing. (1) 1502 Halyb. 269.
The raman of his dettis … he menswern me with ewyll malyssius langag 1516–17 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 39.
ix s., the ramayne of pament of the said hors 1525 Ib. 76.
For v halff furlattis of meill … ane furlat … this ȝeir, the remayne in the neixt ȝeir 1532 Ib. 128.
The remayne of the sowm quhilk he is enterit in pament of 1651 Aberd. Council Lett. III 190.
The … remaine of the four scoir thousand marks dewe to his majestie(2) 1501 Treas. Acc. II 83.
Giffin … in pairt of payment of lxiiij li. quhilk he bocht tymir for. … the remane of the samyn tymmyr payit eftir that xix li. 1527 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 86.
To pay … xii d. in the remayne of the skynnes — 1660 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 305.
[He is also due £10, 7 s.] of the reamaine of certaine corne and strae(3) 1677 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III 140.
For a remain of tocher 1718 Stitchill Baron Ct. 179.
As the remayn of the pryce of a cowpl. 1520 Edinb. Hammermen MS fol. 102.
Siluer in part of payment & hym self souerta for the ramans

5. The surviving or remaining members of a group or company of persons; those left; the rest or remainder.sing. c1475 Wall. viii 922.
Than thai consent, the ramayn that was tharpl. 1456 Hay I 62/16.
He … ordanyt him to passe in Spayne, for Pompees remaynis of his men maid syk deray thare 1533 Boece 39b.
This nacion [sc. the Picts] was bot remanis of the Hunnys [etc.] 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 331.
The regentis grace … with all the rest of the remanis within the castell … quha wes not foirfaltit at Striueling a1649 Drummond Wks. (1711) 6.
Many were executed, the remains in peaceful manner sent home