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: 1533-1674
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Chyre, Chire, n.1 Also: chyir, chir, chiyr, s(c)hire, s(c)hyre, schyire. [Variant of Chyar, common in 16–17th c.] A chair.Also carpet, compter, stray, wainscot, wand chyre; chyre of destiny, of verity: see these words.(a) 1533 Bell. Livy II. 211/18.
Thai sat doun in evore chyris 1535 Stewart 51829.
Erle Thomas … Set him self in till ane chyre doun syne 1548 Treasurer's Accounts IX. 260.
Ane chyre to the same chalmer 1552 Ib. X. 143.
Certane chyris, stulis, and sconsis a1540 Freiris Berw. 220.
Ga clois ȝone burd, and tak away the chyre [: fyre] 1558 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 140.
Thay quha convenis in generale counsalis occupyis the place and chyir of Moyses 1568 Edinb. Guild Acc. 6.
Ane hale cut of ane wanescot to be the beid to the chyre 1581 Satirical Poems xliv. 41.
That chyre of Antichrist and desolation 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Clan-makduf.
That the Earle of Fife suld set vp the King in his chyre, the time of his coronation 1613 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs II. 428.
The Maister … sall furnish the said hous sufficientlie with beds, bedding, taibles, benks, stuiles, chyres [etc.] 1635 Haddington Mem. II. 302.
Thrie armed chyres 1642 Edinburgh Testaments LX. 152 b.
Ane bakitt chyre 1659 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 426.
To tack notice what weomen hes seats sett in the Laigh Kirk who hes chyres in wther kirkes 1667 Peebles B. Rec. II. 73.
Andrew Haldine … to repaire the chyre brokine be him c 1670 Douglas Chart. 343.
Ane gret chyre and ane cuting boord(b) 1540 Maxwell Mem. I. 283.
Ane baik stule, … a chire 1541 Ib.
Ane chiyr 1542 Acts & Decr. I. 140 b.
Ane chire of carvit werk 1550 Treasurer's Accounts IX. 455.
To covir tua chiris … aucht elnis veluet 1569 Ib. MS. 162.
Weluote to couer chiris, stulis, and cuscheingis 1594 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 531.
I boucht ane chire … to the provest to sit on in the kirk(c) 1565 Protocol Book of Gilbert Grote 68.
Twa schyris a1568 Bannatyne MS 86a/49.
The schyre of stait 1572 Protocol Book of John Robeson 166.
Ane mekle schyre 1574 Edinburgh Testaments III 48.
I leve to … my gud sister … the schyre & cuscheonis & vther small insicht of the chalmer a1578 Pitsc. I 254/9.
I desyre my brother the king of Scottland … that he wald sit in his awin schyre and lat me and the Frinchemen pairt amang ws a1585 Montg. Maitland Quarto MS 197/22.
Out of hir schyire [Misc. P. li 22 schyne] scho [sc. Diana] slippis 1589 Edinb. Treas. Acc. in Mill Mediæval Plays 196.
For mending of the glob and for making of ane new schyre of irne vnto 1589 in Calderwood V 61.
The midd scaffold, where sall be placed two shires for the king and queene 1606 Edinburgh Testaments XLI 37b.
Ane faldand schyre price thairof xiij s. iiij d. 1642 T. Hope Diary 157.
The schyre quhairin I satt coupit, and I gatt ane heavy fall 1662 Edinburgh Testaments LXX 317.
Ane vide resting rushie lether shyre 1668 Ib. LXXIII 168b.
Four shued schires1674 Melrose Reg. Rec. III 84.
b. Attrib. with stule, table. 1597 Edinburgh Testaments XXXI. 93 b.
He leuis to … his eldest sone his … chyre stule with his bed 1646 Ib. LXII. 45.
Ane dresser … Ane chyre tabill 1664 Ib. LXXI. 376.
Ane old little falding chyre table
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"Chyre n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/chyre_n_1>
