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: 1399-1400, 1460-1599, 1661-1664
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Girn, Gyrne, n. Also: girne, gyron. [OE. giren, geren, var. of grin, gryn, ME. and e.m.E. grin.] A noose; a snare for catching birds or wild animals. a1400 Legends of the Saints ii. 1140.
He a stalwart gyrne can ma To hang hymself with a1400 Ib. 1156.
The man was graithand ay The girne c1460 Wisdom of Solomon 694.
The woman … , quhilk is the gyrne of the hunter to tak the wild bestis 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xlvii.
Certane beistis, … sa wild that thay can nocht be tane but girnis 1535 Stewart 3639.
As quha wald set ane girne befoir ane gled 1576 Reg. Privy C. II. 515.
[Not] to set girnis [or] lyme wandis or to vse ony uther ingyne for the slauchter of … wild fowlis c1590 J. Stewart 85/203.
As feltert foule, quhilk glew or girn dois hold 1599 Acts IV. 180/2.
All slaying of … wyld foull and beistis be … hagbutt, girn, nett and fouller dog is speciallie forbiddin 1661 Melrose Reg. Rec. I. 349.
[They have] in forbidden tymes sett girnes upon severall moore hens and uther wyld foules nestes 1664 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 510.
The Lords of … Privy Councill, … prohibit … all common foullers to make use of any setting dogges, netts or girnes in any place
b. In figurative use. a1400 Legends of the Saints xviii. 543.
I wes gyrne but ony mak That sawlis put to lestand vrak a1400 Ib. xxi. 620.
The tratoure, I of tel, In-to the gyrne he mad, syne fel c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 999.
[The] wemen … The quhilkes frome gyrnes of ded Ware eschaped 1492 Myll Spectakle of Luf 287/25.
That … thow may kepe thé out of the nettis & gyronys of this foull syne of adultre 1533 Boece xiii. xi. 523.
It is nocht nedefull that we suld fall agane in the sammyn girn as afore 1551 Hamilton Catechism 101.
Thai that will be riche falls into temptatioun, and in the gyrne of the devil 1572 Bann. Memor. 276.
In the end thei salbe snaired into the gyrne thei lay out for vtheris 1596 Dalr. II. 470/28.
His eldest brother … , quhom he hard was now fettirit in Caluines girnes
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"Girn n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/girn_n>
