Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tres(s)ing, Trac(e)ing, vbl. n. Also: trecin, treken, trasing, -yng, traissing. [Late ME tressynge (c1425).]

1. Ornamental ribbon or braid, trimming. Also pl. 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV 190a.
Sevin vnce of traceing & hatlipping pasmentis c1630 Tailor's Acc. Bk. B 14.
For traissing to the cloik, xij s. 1660 Bk. Dunvegan 189.
3 drap gold and silver lupin and tressing at 6 s. 1665 Nicolson Diurnals 26 June.
2 ells of gold tressing 1667–9 Home Clothing Acc. MS (Earl of Home) 8a.
Silver tressing and louplace 1681 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. VII 45.
All silver and gold threed, silver and gold lace, fringes or tracingpl. 1681 Acts VIII 348/1.
His majestie … prohibits … all merchants … to import … any gold or silver threed, gold or silver lace, fringes or traceings

b. attrib. 1549 Treas. Acc. IX 334.
Thre score thre elnis trasing silk to the samyn coit 1567 Edinb. Test. I 59b.
Ane pund of traissing silk 1568 Edinb. Test. I 215a.
xiij vnce of trasyng silk price of the vnce xiij s. 1573 Treas. Acc. XII 353.
v dosane of buttonis of gold and silver … iiij elnis of trasing silk to string thame 1575 Dumfries B. Ct. 20 March.
Three boutis of tresing worsat … price xj s. 1586 Edinb. Test. XVI 126b.
Fyve vnce of traissing belting silk 1590 Edinb. Test. XXII 126a.
Sevin vnce of blak traissing pasmentis of silk 16… Bk. Dunvegan 193.
Lace, treken [£1 14 s., Scots] 16… Bk. Dunvegan 196.
Trecin gold and loop lace an oz. [£6, Scots], tressing gold a drap [7 s. 6 d., Scots]

2. The action of trimming with braid, etc. 1698–9 Wauchopes 77.
For traceing my hat with gold thread