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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Hair, Hayr, n.¹ Also: haire, hayre, hayir, air. [Var. of Hare n.², in earlier use prob. (like the rare ME. heire, heyr) by assimilation to Hair n.³, but later also a variant spelling for hare. Cf. also Heir(e n.¹ and Here n.³]

1. Hair in the collective sense, esp. that on the head of a person. (See also Hide n.¹ 3 a). a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 225.
Hayre scho had, quhyt & streke c1420 Wynt. ii. 46.
Hyr hayre in wympyll arrayand c1450-2 Howlat 952.
This howlat hidowis of hair and of hyde 1492 Myll Spect. 291/30.
Scho … pullit the haire of his heid 1513 Doug. ii. v. 51.
All his hayr was … ful of blude 1520 Wigtown B. Ct. 101 b.
For the vrangus trubling & spilling of hir air in hir hous a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxx. 10.
As rid gold wyir schynit hir hair c1590 Fowler I. 138/11.
Her hands, her hyde, her hewe, her haire 1676 Forbes Baron Ct. 301.
He saw the saides two bretheren hinging in otheres haires

Attrib. with cutting. 1674 Cunningham Diary 39.
For razing and haircutting

b. Agains the hair, contrary to the sense. 1602 Colville Parænese Cont. 5.
Answer vnto certane passages quoted agans the hair concerning the eiking and paring of Scripturs

2. A single hair (esp. of the head). To find a hair in another's neck, to find some fault or shortcoming in him which gives one a hold over him: also in the mod. dial. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Twa Mar. W. 61.
Thair brycht hairis hang gletering on the strandis Id. xlvi. 77.
Hir goldin tressit hairis 1535 Stewart 29106.
Ma vices … Nor thair wes hairis on his grittest hors 15.. Clar. i. 671.
With croune of gold abune hir hairis bricht Ib. ii. 1721. 1657 R. Moray Lett. 28 Sept./8 Oct.
Lay your count never to find a hair in my neck

b. fig. Something slender or of small amount. 1535 Stewart 10191.
He culd nocht brek wirth ane hair of thair will a1570-86 Maitl. F. xviii. 27.
The quhilk at last sall nocht help ȝou ane hair Ib. clxx. 113.
Him self was aiged, his hous hang be a hair a1578 Pitsc. I. 86/16.
The castell … [was] never ane hair the war Ib. 245/6.
For all the riches ... of the world wald nocht haue hauldin his lyff ane hair nor ane moment langer nor is the will ... of God 1679 J. Welsh Alarm to Impenitent (1710) 6.
Ye go to the kirk, and come home again, never an hair the better 1685-8 R. Renwick Serm. 78.
We use to say ... it is better to hold by a hair, than to draw by a tether, a grip is soon slipt, but it is not soon recovered Ib.
Moses's spirit who would not quit to Pharaoh a hair or hoof of that which belonged to the children of Israel

3. A sixth of a hank of yarn. 1595 Brechin Test. I. 128.
Ane clow of sex hair of ȝarne to mak out the heall

4. attrib. Made of hair. 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 286.
Ane greit gros of hair buttonis 1589 Ib. XXI. 89.
Thrie vnce … of hair threid 1605 Crim. Trials II. 478.
The Devill in the liknes of the said Helen M^cbrune presentit to the said Patrik ane hair belt 1621 Crim. Trials III. 498.
Binding him … with ane coird or hair-tedder 1655 Edinb. Test. LXVIII. 116.
Ane hair mutch with ffour demie black hattes a1658 Durham Commandments 112.
Unlucky ... for a woman with child to step over a hairteather 1688 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 247.
You did come to the hous … and ther did throw doun ane hair tether, quhich is usuallie done be witches 1692 Falkirk Par. Rec. II. 37.
To stand at the church door with ain hair goun about her 1695 Sharpe Witchcraft 237.
One of them was bound by a hair-tedder to the balk of the hause