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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.

Grote, Groit, Grot(t, n.¹ Also: grotte; groitt, groyt. [e.m.E. groat(e, grote, groot(e, grot(te (northern groyt, 1543), ME. groot(e, grote (1362), MLG. grot, grote, MDu. grote, groot, elliptic use of the adj. = great, thick.] A groat; latterly a fourpenny piece.Freq. with specific names as bagcheke, barrit or bard, bonet, crounit, Douglas, flour delice, half, Hary (etc.) grote, for which see these words. The English spelling groat comes into use after 1600.(a) 1453 Exch. R. V. 556 n.
Thar was deliverit … xxxiiij grotis of xij d. grotis and j d. 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III. 93.
A hundreth pundis of sex peny grotis, and four score of pundis of bonath grotis 1488 Acts II. 208/2.
The said penny of gold to haue course … for xxx of the saidis groitis, and a penny of gold … for xx of the saidis groitis of the samyn prent 1495 Halyb. 41.
In ald grotis, 39 s. 1518 Edinb. Hammermen 255 b.
Of quhit siluer in grotis xxviij s. vj d. 1548 Corr. M. Lorraine 222.
My lord Gray gaiff me iij scoir off groittis(b) 1451 Acts II. 39/2.
At thar be strikin of the vnce of brynt siluer or bulȝeon of that fynes viij grottis c1475 Wall. ii. 38.
For a strak he bad him grottis thre 1506 Treas. Acc. II. 181.
To assay the fynes of the new grot 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 234.
Ane croun of the sone, and tua grottis 1571 Fam. Rose 259.
Of gold and grottis thre hundrycht merkis 1586 Cunȝiehous Acc. 9.
The irnis for the aucht and four penny grottis 1603 Reg. Privy C. VI. 567.
Sik as rydis … to pey for everie myle twa schillingis … besyd the gyddis grott 1675 Cunningham Diary 5.
Giving 10 grots to buit

b. Taken as the type of a very small sum. 1513 Doug. vi. v. 72.
To pas owr in this boyt Thai bene admyt, and costis thame not a grote 1566 Waus Corr. I. 38.
I should nevir a desyrit ane groit of you 1671 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 273.
He was not auchtand the persewer a grott 1673 Red Bk. Grandtully I. p. cxv.
He sayes he'll have her had she ne'r a grote