A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1400, 1500-1599
[0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Beset, Besett, v. [ME. besette(n. OE. besettan.]
1. tr. To apply, set. a1400 Legends of the Saints Prol. 12.
Thai ma nocht fra thyne be brocht, Fra thai thare-in beset thare thocht
2. To surround, encompass, invest. 1513 Doug. i. ii. 63.
Dyrknes as nycht beset the seys about 1513 Ib. ii. xi. 128.
Our lugyng … was with Grekis beset 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 125.
Quhen sin besettis me a1578 Pitsc. I. 56/6.
Or ever James Stewart had knawledge that ony man besett his gait
3. To place, allot, dispose of. 15.. Clariodus iii. 1232.
Richt weill beset I wald think me at schorte
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Beset v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/beset>
