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

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

War, Wers, Worst, v.¹ Also: var, warre, wer. P.t. also uarrid, ward, wareit. P.p. also uarrd, warde, wairit, uorred. [e.m.E. warre (1483), worst (1602); War adj., Warst adj. Cf. ME and e.m.E. wurse(n (c1175), werrsenn (Orm), worsien (Ayenbite), OE wyrsian, f. wyrsa adj.]

1. tr.To overcome, defeat, win victory over in a battle or contest.pres. 1570 Sempill in Sat. P. xii 53.
Fecht weill and war thame and wyn thé ryches thair(b) ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. III 15.
If Aboyne should worst Montrosse and Marishallp.t. 1529 Thomson Hist. Dundee 43.
They shot very near, and warred the Englishmen of the enterprise a1578 Pitsc. I 157/13.
Edwart … and his men … fell in skarmisching with the Scoittis … bot thay debeitit manfullie and wareit Edwartis wangard a1578 Pitsc. I 306/12.
Warrit a1578 Pitsc. I 341/1.
The rest of airchouris schott far and wight, and warit the Inglischemen of the interpryse and wan the hunder crouns(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 164/25.
He werrit ewer them at all tymes quhen they mett; gif he had ben xxx and they iij^xx he wald haif gevin them battellp.p. ?1438 Alex. ii 4763.
Na had nocht bene the knychtis of Grece That helpit, he had warrit me 1460 Hay Alex. 1391.
Emenedus … saw … that his vangard nothing warrit was(b) a1578 Pitsc. I 232/29.
Mony strangeris came bot few reffussit bot they war fouchin witht and wairit in singular battell be the Scottis menproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 769.
Help hussie the cat wars the mouse

2. To damage, to inflict damage or suffering upon, to have a detrimental effect on the condition of.(a) ?14.. Ship Laws c. 12 (H2).
Gif the maistir will sueir with tua of his fallowis with him that thair wynis war nocht warrit throw thame thai sall pas quyte 14.. Acts I 38/2.
Gif it [sc. a piece of property] be perysit or warryt in his kepyng 1456 Hay II 92/18.
Throu the nobilitee of him, his ornamentis and estate, all his contree war the mare prisit, lovit lufit and honourit. Bot that suld nocht be that the realme were werrit tharfore 1456 Hay II 136/6.
Suppos he ete … every day … ane unce weight of rasins … he suld nocht dout na maner of wys, na malady fleumous that suld hurt his memoire, na his wit suld be werrid, na his complexioun changit(b) 14.. Acts I 363/2.
He sall amend the sted brokine or wersyt throw the sayde bestis(c) c1700 Jervise Epitaphs & Inscriptions II 190/1.
The pulpit … had been worsted when the roof was off the church

b. intr.To deteriorate in quality, to sink to a lower level. a1605 Montg. Flyt. 105 (H).
For all ȝour bombee, ȝe warred a little wie; I think for to see ȝow hing by the heilles, For tearmes that thow steiles of ald poetrie

3. tr.To outdo, surpass (a rival or peer) (in something).(1) 1513 Doug. v iii 100.
Pistris and Centawr straif for the fyrst place. … Now hes Pistrys the fordell and syne … The byg Centawr hyr warris and slyppis by; Now glyde tha bath togiddyr furth in front a1578 Pitsc. I 205/7.
Gif he had ado in his extremitie … that horse wald war all the horse of Scottland … gif he wald seit weill a1585 Polwart Flyt. 709 (T).
Grant, guis, that my inventioun waris thé than, With out the quhilk thow micht haue barkit waist c1590 J. Stewart 161/13.
Ilk ane he vars vithin his tender ȝeirs 1606 Calderwood VI 395.
The Lord … give courage … and freedom of language and spirit, to utter his truthe … even … on the scaffold, if it like the world to assay that again, wherewith they have beene oftin wearier and warred by the patience of the sancts 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 54/230.
That fowle, whose grace … yet ward the sunne him sell 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 57/240.
Thou o reuthless deith sould thou deuoure Hir [sc. the Phoenix] quha not only uarrid … Al uther foulles in heu & shape but [etc.] 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 115/11.
Oure maister poet nou Is uarrd [v.r. warde, Montg. Suppl. 267, uorred] be thé 1625 Garden Kings 54.
A prince whose valore did his visdome war(2) 1596 Dalr. I 13/6.
It hes thir tounes Kircoubrie, Wigtoune and the quhyt Case … Bot Wigtoune waris the vthir 2 baith in citiȝenis and riches 1600-1610 Melvill 154.
Mr. Andro, wha warred him [sc. the Bishop of St. Andrews] far in credit without the contrey c1616 Hume Orthog. 20.
We sould keep the vouales of the original, quherin the north warres the south … from regnum, the north regne, the south raigne [etc.]