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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.

Vestment, Vestyment, n. Also: westment, vesti-, veste-, vesta-, vestia-, westy-, westi-, westa-, westiament. [ME and e.m.E. uestimenz (Ancr. R.) pl., uestement (Cursor M.), vestyment (Manning), vestment (Prompt. Parv.), westment (c1471), OF vestement, vestiment, L. vestīmentum.]

1. An ecclesiastical vestment, the ceremonial garments worn by the priest, deacons, choirboys, etc. during religious services. Also in similar usage in non-Christian temples. 11… Reg. St. A. 43.
[Et cum vestimentis ecclesiasticis 13… Reg. Dunferm. 232.
Cum calice vestimentis libris et aliis ornamentis competentibus 14… Reg. St. A. 425.]
Integre et cum effectu persoluere ad reparacionez ornamentorum altaris et vestimentorum chori xl libras(a) c1420 Wynt. v 836.
He … gert dystroyid be Off Jerusalem the cyte, And off the tempill he tuk hale Ornamentys, vestymentys [C. westimentis] and weschalle c1420 Wynt. v 1912.
He [sc. a priest of Jupiter] tuggyd wyth hys teth in taggys Hys westyment rywand all in raggys 1436 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 147.
In primis a rede vestiment de serico deauratum c1454 Dundee B. Ct. I 3.
A stand of vestiment of a clath of gold with tonakillis albis & the lafe pertenand thair to 1494–5 Treas. Acc. I 229.
To the browdstar, to mend the vestimentis of the kingis chapell 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 532.
Foure howsouris, ane of purpour satin … tua of quhet dammes … and the ferd of gray dammes … ordanit to be reformit and maid in vestimentis, tabulis, and altar pendis for the chapellis of Striveling and the abbay 1538 Treas. Acc. VI 446.
To Johne Ȝoung, brodstare, for mending of the capis, albis, chesabillis, and utheris vestimentis and chapell gere of the kingis chapell … v li. 1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III 70.
The hale vestimenttis kaipis and vther kirk grayth … to be sauld and bestowit vpoun the said kirk wark 1562-3 Winȝet I 113/22.
We effectuouslie demand ȝow gif the vestimentis, chalissis, and wtheris ornamentis in the kirkis of Scotland wes idolatrical a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun 39.
Certan cheissebillis, and vestimentis of sindre silkis(b) c1420 Wynt. v 2267 (C).
Prestis and dekynnys he bade that thai Sulde noucht in common oysse all waye The halowit westment on thaim ber … Bot qwhen thai war in thar serwice, In kyrkys doande thar office 1444–5 Peebles Chart. 9.
That thai sal kepe … at thair gudly power buke, vestment, chalis and al other anowrnments left or to be left til the said altar 1486 Old Dundee II 30.
The deacon … has ordainit … that neither the said mes buke, nor the silver chalice our-gilt, the vestment of silk, the vestment of bukkasy, nor the chandillars whilk they have conquest till the said altar, be analyt, wedset, nor put away frae the said altar 1513 Edinb. Hammermen 81.
Half ane eln of quhit fusteane to be perabolis to the lentrin vestment 1519 Cart. S. Nich. Aberd. II 353.
Thai sall … decor and dote thar said altar with vestmentis buikis tovellis chanlair ymagis and all vther ornamentis 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 396.
Deliverit to Johnne Young to be ane vestment to his alter, thre elnis thre quarteris half quarter purpur velvet 1550 Treas. Acc. IX 455.
To broder my lord governouris armes on certane vestmentis to his grace chapell, twa grete hankis of sewing gold 1560 Rolland Seven S. 7303.
The parische preist with his kirklike vestments, Was weill indewit with all abilȝements, For to solempne the band of mariage 1596 Dalr. II 172/30.
Capes and vtheris mesclaithis, and vestments perteineng to the kirk(c) 1495 Reg. Episc. Brechin. II 316.
Ane new war stall to keip the vestiamentis of the hye altar in till 1559 Edinb. B. Rec. III 43.
The names of thame that ressauit the vestiamentis of the kirk: … to maister James Lyndesay the sacrament clayth with Saint Gelis cloke of welwote droppit with gold … to James Curll, vestiament dekyn subdekyn preistheid and kaip … ressauit be Williame Lawsoun merchand, ane westiament dekyn and subdekyn of grene dalmes [etc.](d) 1516 Inv. Wardrobe 28.
Received … be the handis of the maister of Sanct Antonies, a buke, a vestament of clathe of gold, a vestament of grene velvet 1531 Bell. Boece II 393.
The goldin and silkin claithis … war distribut amang the abbays of Scotland to be vestamentis and frontallis to thair altaris

2. a. A (ceremonial) robe or garment worn by an official, royalty, etc. b. A garment or covering more generally for (part of) the body. Quot. Irland may belong in a.a. a1500 Henr. Fab. 58 (Ch.).
This nobill clerk Esope … In gray vestiment [Bann. gay metir] and in facound purpurate, Be figure wrait his buik a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 544.
Herod cled him in a quhit westiment 1535 Stewart 59897.
Vestimentis of greit pretiositie At thair pairting to this ȝoung prince he gaif 1535–6 Treas. Acc. VI 278.
iij elnis dammes to be ane vestiment to the maister elmosinar 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 138.
The herauldis, with thare awfull vestimentis, With maseris, vpon ather of thare handis 1551–2 Treas. Acc. X 53.
For broddering of certane imagereis upoun vestimentes of his graces, tway half hankis of sewing gold … xxviij s. 1552 Treas. Acc. X 83.
For the onputting of armes upoun ane stand of vestimentis of satin to my lord governouris college in Hammyltounb. 1490 Irland Mir. I 77/34.
Paradice is a richt nobile place of plesaunce … And thire palacis, housis and westimentis was nocht thar necessare to be had 1490 Irland Mir. I 126/9.
Moyses … hard ane hevinly voce that said to him that he suld remove his westament of his feit a1538 Abell 9a.
Ȝoung men suld nocht haif bot a westyment all the ȝere a1538 Abell 125b.
And in ane dissimilit westment he com to the duik 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 27b.
Stand yow content, with meit & westiment

3. fig. 1456 Hay I 70/34.
As sais Sanct Jerome, the pastouris has brokyn and rent the vestementis of haly kirk, that is the Cristin faith 1490 Irland Mir. I 135/30.
The angell promittit … that … the wertu of the hie king of glore, that is His derrast sone suld in hire blissit wame tak a schadow that is a westament and clethinge of hire nature and humanite 1548 Knox III 11.
Their vestiments of spiders webbes (which ar their vaine workes) shall not abide the force of the Lord's winde c1552 Lynd. Mon. Prol. 146.
Phebus … Quhose donke impurpurit vestiment nocturnall … He lefte in tyll his regioun aurorall