A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1400, 1456-1599
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Forcy, Forcie, a. [f. Force n. Cf. Forsy a. Also in e.m.E. (1586), but rare.] Of persons or animals, personal qualities, or things: Full of force or strength.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 510.
A thousande knyghtes … forcye for all fyghtes 1456 Hay I. 250/29.
Bathe beste and man is mare stark and forcy … quhen thai ar wele fed 1456 Ib. II. 116/37.
Thou wald be starkare … and forciare c1500-c1512 Dunb. xi. 10.
Forcye Achill and strong Sampsone 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 41.
Thou art mair forcy than the ded sa fell 1513 Ib. v. vii. 45.
The forcyast of campionys 1513 Ib. x. xiv. 87.
O moist forcy steid 1531 Bell. Boece II. 7.
Now ar rissin in Britane mony rank and forcy young men 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 170.
Thair laikit in him nathing that mycht appertene to ane forcie campioun(2) 1456 Hay II. 123/16.
The ground of the stomakis … mare forcy of degestioun na the humast part 1513 Doug. v. xiv. 54.
Sowpit in Stix, the forcy hellys see 1513 Ib. vi. xvi. 40.
Be enchantment and forcy herbis sle 1535 Stewart 11709.
The flude so forcie that ran by the sand 15.. Clariodus i. 83.
He raisit up his forcie arme on height 1562-3 Winȝet II. 6/28.
The forcie and irrecouerable strake 1570 Satirical Poems xiii. 141.
Quhen ȝe culd not resist his forcie wand(3) 1513 Doug. ii. x. 137.
Ȝour strenth … and ȝour forcy mycht 1513 Ib. ix. iii. 114.
Hie curage and forcy hardyment 1533 Bell. Livy I. 146/9.
His inemyis war sett with maist forcy violence to deieck him
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"Forcy adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/forcy>
