A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1475-1513, 1592-1626
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Tempir, -yr, -er, n. [ME and e.m.E. tempre (Trevisa), tempyr (1483), OF tempre.] a. The quality of hardness and resilience of a blade. b. In (out of) temper, well (badly) regulated (of a clock). —a. c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ii 189.
O wareide suerd, of tempyr neuir trew Thi fruschand blaid in presoune sone me threw 1513 Doug. x viii 105.
Gyf our lancis be, Bettir of tempyr [Ruddim. tempir] and mair penytratyve —b. 1592 Ecclesia Antiqua 249.
To tak the cure of keeping the knok … in guid ordor and temper 1626 Banff Ann. I 55.
William Williamson … to reull and hald the knok in temper sufficientlie daylie … and giff the knok happin to be ane quarter ane hour out of temper [etc.]
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Tempir n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/tempir_n>
