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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Squar(e, Squair(e, adj. (adv.). Also: squayr, squarr, sqware, sqwair, sqwyare, squha(i)r, swair. [ME and e.m.E suare (Cursor M.), squar(e (Chaucer), sware (14th c.), sqware (c1400), OF esquarré, escarré; Squar(e n., Squar(e v.]

A. adj. 1. Of the body, limbs, etc. a. Approximating to a square cross-section, solid, well-built, powerful. b. Square-shaped.a. 1375 Barb. iii 581.
And newys that stalwart war & squar, That wont to spayn gret speris war ?1438 Alex. ii 2701.
His lymmes war baith great and square [F. membrés et quarrés] 1460 Hay Alex. 1850.
He was sa stark sa mekill and sa square 1513 Doug. v vii 107.
Hys lymmys squair, Baith byg bonys and brawnys 1513 Doug. v viii 8 (Ruddim.).
Syne hie aboue thare hedis … rasit thare armes square 1513 Doug. vii viii 17.
This hart of body was baith gret and squar [Sm. squayr] With large hed 1531 Bell. Boece I xxxiv.
Litill Johne … hes bene fourtene fut of hicht with square membris effering thairto 1535 Stewart 212.
Gathelus … With schoulderis braid and armis grit and squair 15.. Clar. i 963.
The strongest lyoun … His awfull cluikis was lang and square 1594 Misc. Bann. C. III 165.
Of person he was square and large 1596 Dalr. II 44/2.
Quhen Æneas Syluius walde expreme the coniunctioun of his memberis, with the maiestie of his persoune, he calis him squair a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xvii 63.
Throu hir garments, heir and thair, Appeirit hir lustie limis squareb. c1475 Wall. ix 1928.
His lyppys round his noys was squar and tret

2. Of an object, freq. a weapon: Solid, strong, powerful; ? specif. of square cross-section, hence, thick, heavy, substantial. b. Of an arrow-head: ? Cut to a right-angled point. 1375 Barb. x 359.
A cruk thai maid … Off irne, that wes styth and squar ?1438 Alex. ii 4221.
The trunscheonis war baith great and sqware 1507 Treas. Acc. III 394.
For iij greit rede speris, tua squar and ane holl 1513 Doug. v iii 22.
With arys squair [L. gravibus], the bargan gan assay 1513 Doug. vii iii 79.
Gret lokkis, slottis, massy bandis sqwair [Sm. squayr] 1513 Doug. xi v 30.
The hasty hurland charyot quhelys squair 1533 Boece 613.
Ane gret and squair mais of irne 1535 Stewart 41381.
The lance … wes lang and squhair c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 176.
Ane bludie hart Thirlit … With ane fell flane, quhilk was baith braid & squair a1568 Scott ii 52.
With twa … speiris squair It wes thair interpryis to fechtb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 111.
Dredefull arowis grundyn scharp and square

3. Of timber, planks, etc.: ? Square in cross-section, prepared in this fashion or ? solid, substantial or ? not warped or badly cut. b. Of a tree: ? Having the branches trimmed off or ? of square section. c. Of a rod: Square in cross-section. 1513 Doug. v xii 160.
Plankis and gestis gret squair and meit, Into thar schippis ionand 1531 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 58.
ix pece akin gestis sqwair tymmer 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 179.
x pece square tymmer of xxxii futisb. 1513 Doug. xi ii 65.
Treyn saplyng that squair [L. truncos] is, Cled with the armour of thar aduersarisc. 1462 Peebles B. Rec. I 147.
That na strakis gang in the merkat bot rownde rows and nocht squhar

4. Of stone(s). a. Cut in a square-shaped or rectangular block or piece. b. ? Prepared in a particular fashion ? with a smooth or flat surface.a. 1531 Bell. Boece I 81.
Ane round hous of square [L. quadratis] stanis 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I 99.
The flure of it has bene of squair stanis [1821 The pavement hes bene of aselar stanis; L. tessellata olim sectiliaque] 1615 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 361.
For ane grit lintill twa transsomes and ane corunnell with ane braid squair stane 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 28.
Ten long stepis and sex peice of squair table stanes 1696 Knoop & Jones Sc. Mason 83.
A square pavementb. 1676 Glasgow Chart. II 186.
With sufficient sqwair and brotched stones

c. Squarestone, ? stone prepared as in a or b above. 16… Abercrummie in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 7.
Ane enclosure of new squarestone lately built

5. Of things more generally: Square or rectangular in shape or cross-section. 1494 Loutfut MS 39a.
Billites & billetee ar sum thing mair lang na square [F. carrees] 1511 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 103.
The said Johnne … sal mak gret and squar beddis fra the o o [sic] up of the said stepile to the undir passag of the said prik that men may pass esely and soueralie to the hycht of the said stepil withtin the samyn 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 94.
Payntit werk … Item thre squair peissis thre roundis with thair chaiplatis 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 186.
To the said chalmer twa gret square lychtis and thre othir lychtis 1567 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 643/2.
Ane cheyn … with tuelf square intermiddis … togither with ane round intermyd 1573 Elphinstone Mun. 22.
Sevin dyamantes, thairof ane greit and squair in the middis a1578 Pitsc. (1814) II 610.
Ane squar table 1613 Conv. Burghs II 396.
Ilk squair heavie quhyte pype 1633 Acts V 21/2.
All inferiour … ministers sall … vse thair squarr cappes especiallie in all our vniuersities 1661 Buccleuch Mun. II 313.
Ane weinscott squaire table folding up in the corners, making a perfyt round table 1675 Edinb. B. Rec. X 427.
To leave ane squaire vaconecy for entering to the volt or cisterne

b. In particular collocations or combinations: Squareburr; squair lintalit see Lintalit ppl. adj.; swair nail, ? a square-headed, perhaps decorative, nail; squair plewche, a knife or cutting instrument of some sort (cf. Pleuch n. 3) perhaps used to produce a cut square in cross-section. Cf. also 2 b above; squar starned, having a square-shaped stern. 1639–40 Ruthven Corr. 51.
[Wheelwright's tools] Squareburrs—001 — 1558–9 Edinb. Old Acc. I 300.
viij^xx swair naillis and rowis to the portis — 1615 Edinb. Test. XLIX 14.
[In the testament of a wright] Thrie squair plewcheis price of thame all iiij lib x s. … Item ane syllering pleuch — 1692 Conv. Burghs IV 594.
Ane squar starned ship

c. Four squair, having all four sides of a thing of the same length, square. 1494 Loutfut MS 2a.
The listes … suld be maid four squair apon ferm & herd erd weil cloissit with pales 1494 Loutfut MS 110b.
The barreris suld be ordanyt quhilk suld be maid nerrest iiii squar bot sum thing langar no braid c1590 Fowler II 181/14.
A fair high pale made four-square of crimson ueluote

6. Of a building: Square, ? solid. a1400 Leg. S. iv 360.
Hyr palace, hecht & square 1560 Rolland Seven S. 406.
Lat vs thair mak ane hous baith rowme & squair Quhair at quyet the child may leirne his lair

7. In references to measurements. a. Of a particular length of each of the four sides of a square.1510-11 quot. may belong elsewhere. c1500 Interl. Droich 44.
Ellevin myle wyd mett was his mowth, His teith wes ten myle squair 1511 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 103.
The neddir tume salbe maid witht ane battaling of tymmer at the hed of the said tume witht ane [pr. aut] passag about the said tume quhen it cummys to viij squair and sal theik the said tume [etc.]

b. specif. In the measurement of timber. 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 216.
To tack in sic quantitie of acken tymber as the said schip may guidlie find … and for everie Inglis squair fute of reull quhilk the saids … sall delyver [etc.] 1698 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 680.
[A parcel of timber … at 4 d. sterling for each foot] always square

c. In the measurement of land: Square-fall, the square measurement corresponding to six ells or one fall (Fall n.¹ 2). 1685 Paterson Sc. Arithm. 6.
A square-fall is equal to a sclater rood of work

d. Squair reule, = Squar(e n. 2. Also fig. 1587 Carmichael Etym. 6.
Gnomon, a squair reulfig. 1562-3 Winȝet II 8/3.
Wald ony of thame al lay to this lyne and square reul, and preue thair doctrine? 1558-66 Knox II 139.
The opinioun thairof … mycht be laid to the squair-reull of Goddis worde 1632 Lithgow Trav. ix 415.
Fit to gouerne others and to direct him selfe with the square rules of wisdome and iudgement

8. ? Describing or forming a square. 1485–6 Prot. Bk. J. Young I 8.
We linaris … findis the hale sqwyare dik biggit and mad to the said umquhill Robertis orchart standis apon the sad Robertis grownd

9. Square withe, in alignment, straight. 1660 Rothesay B. Rec. 290.
[The liners] have maid the merche betuixt them square withe the merk of the old gaiwill and sett merche stanes thairin

10. a. Of persons, actions, etc.: Straightforward, honest, direct. b. Certain, sure.a. 1576 Cal. Sc. P. V 216.
[That he take] a squair and summar [order for ending of the matter] 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (STS) 13/7.
The deuil is glad to mooue them to a plaine and square dealing with him 1622 Scot Course of Conformity 116.
The squarest conformitant shall either proue a praecisian heere in standing upon circumstances or else quit the conformity with the law of God c1630 Scot Narr. 113.
The four of the opposite side were square and plain, after protestation for secrecie 1671 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 563.
To show how square the lady is, she is content to restrict herself to what jointure is contained in the testamentb. 1632 Lithgow Trav. v 199.
My conduct [sc. guide] still deceaued me made it square another carauan, O! would come there

B. adv. Directly in line. Cf. 9 above. 1690 Rothesay B. Rec. 469.
Craveing … soe much of the highway … as will make his garden dyke run square from the east end of James Stewart his gavill … towards [etc.]