A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1513, 1584-1590
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Besprent, Bysprent, p.t. and p.p. [Late ME. and e.m.E. besprent, ME. bespreynt, besprenct, p.p. of besprenge. OE. besprengan.] Besprinkled.Only poetic, and used chiefly by Douglas. 1513 Doug. ii. viii. 114.
Thar saw I … Priamus … All our bysprent and sperklyt ful of blude 1513 Ib. v. vii. 96.
Quhil … eild had thus bysprent My hed … with canus hair 1513 Ib. xi. Prol. 19.
Hys cryst and hewmet all besprent with blude a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxv. 69.
Hir face with teiris besprent scho liftit vp c1590 J. Stewart 90/368.
Ane fluid … bouting out besprent His boudin brest c1590 Fowler 93/191.
With face besprent & visage wak with teares
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"Besprent p.t., p.p.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/besprent>
