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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.

Lume, Lome, n. Also: lum, lwm(e; luim, lwim, luyme, lwym(e; loyme; lewm; loum, lowm(e; loom(e; lumb(e, lomb, loumb(e, lowmbe, loomb; leme. [ME. and e.m.E. lome, loom(e, e.m.E. lomb(e (1566), aphetic f. OE. ᵹelóma wk. masc., utensil, implement.]

1. A tool, implement, instrument or utensil of any kind.Also with various qualifying words, as egge-lume (an edged tool or weapon), justing lume (Justing vbl. n.¹ and vbl. n.²), prenting-lume, turning-lume (a lathe), and werk- (wark-, work-) lume; and mason-, querrell-, smiddie-, werkman-lume; q.v. under the first elements.Also attrib. in loomheid, ? the headstock of a lathe.After the 15th c. appar. only Sc. and north. Eng.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 518.
Sa wondir [hard] was that hil & thai had na lomys to wil For to make a gannand grawe Ib. xxi. 837.
Thane hymeself tuk a lome and smat & fand quhare the erde was wat Ib. xviii. 1411. 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 298.
(Wright's tools) 1587 Acts III. 508/1.
Nicolas Vduart … to keip his hienes seill … and the timmer and lomes quhairvpoun thai [craftsmen] stent the said stuff(b) c1420 Wynt. iii. 937.
This lume [sc. a device of torture fashioned as a bull; W. lome, C. loyme] mad apon this wys, Polyst fayre and rycht fetys 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 196.
To Thom Gourlay, wricht, that turnis the schip blokkis, to fech his lumys 1515 Ib. V. 33.
(Smith's tools) 1513 Doug. vi. iii. 53.
Ene … With lwme in hand fast wirkand lyke the laif 1529 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 6.
For his furnesing ande upholding of the quareouris lwmys in Culrois Ib. 24., 29, etc. 1559–60 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 317.
For the lummis keppin vi d. 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 313.
The hoey quhairin thair [sc. wool workers'] lumes and claithes wes in wes nocht arryvet c1620 Boyd Fl. Zion Exc. xxi/2.
Craftsmen aside in warre their lumes doe lay c 1640 Wemyss in Sc. Diaries 125.
[The salters] gett … 2 li. for shulles and 3 li. Scotts yeirly to uphould ther eiron lumes(c) a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1166.
Ryse up in the morning & piss in the riddle, warme water beines loomes 1628 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 283.
For ane horsehyre that caryit Thomas Wilsone maissoune and his sones loombes to Sanctandrois c1686 Depred. Clan. Campbell 53.
With all their other loomes within the house as axes, eitches, drug saw, bow saw 1688 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII. 151.
I tryed to turn a stick on the loomattrib. 1664 Edinb. Test. LXXI. 313 b.
[In the stock of a bowyer] ane harper, ane turneing loome and ane bose loomheid

b. fig. plur., the male sexual parts. sing., the penis.Also late ME. (once) lome (15th c.), the penis.(1) c1420 Wynt. i. 458.
[Ham] lewch … and wald noucht byde Hys fadrys membrys for tyll hyde Bot … skornyd fast his fadyr lumys Ib. 1550.
Jupyter presonyde hym [Saturn] … And tyte fra hym hys lumys [C. lomys] syne; Thare thai kest thame in the se(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 96.
Bot soft and soupill as the silk is his sary lwme Ib. 175.a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlvii. 95 (see Larbar a. a). a1570-86 Balnavis Maitl. F. cxxix. 27.
Thé to conswme with sic ane lwme That bourd mycht be forborne

2. An open vessel or receptacle. a. One of the vats or tubs used in brewing or dyeing.Also Brewing-lume n., Brew lume n., litstar lowme Litstar n. c (1). 1493 Dunferm. B. Rec. 46.
All ale that is masckit in the lumies 1523 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 217.
That thai sall nocht brew … darrer aill … na for xx d. the gallowne … and gif thai failyie … that thair lwmes be brokin and destroyit 1544 Haddington B. Ct. in Soc. Ant. II. 396.
The aill now being in the lwmys 1563 Lanark B. Rec. 32. 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 25. 1580 Exch. R. XXI. 151. 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I. 91.
The haill wort being plaid and putt in lwmes … the haill wort was takin away and the haill lwmes fundin dry c 1598–9 State P. MS. (Reg. H.) No. 107 b/7.
Ane brew katharon vith his fat and loumis 1636 Thanes of Cawdor 281.
The brewe lemeis 16.. Culross II. 169.
Ane full stand of brewing lomes 1701 New Mills Manuf. 226.
To value the dyeing loombs Ib. 234.

b. Any open vessel used as a receptacle for liquids or loose solids, as a measuring vessel, bucket or basin.Also mete-lume (measuring vessel), q.v. 1529 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 12.
That na … man or woman … sell aittis or meill bot with ane sufficient … mesour … and at the samyn be brynt with the commoun merkyn irne of the tovne, vnder the payne of breking of the lvme 1538 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 154.
Gif ony be fundin … layng thair asse on the gait … it selbe lesum to ony man to tak away thair pannis or lumis and present the same to the balȝes 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 327.
[As a fire precaution] ilk man in Edinburgh to haue his lumes full of watter in the nynt [sic. = night] 1597–8 Misc. Spald. C. I. 126.
Quhen the same was milkit, it wrocht our the lumes lyk new aill 16.. Adv. MS. 22.2.11.
Take thes herbes … and let them sok amongst the water … then take it of and strained … and set it be in another loome 1614 Inverurie 196.
[That] na brewster saill aill with ony met, lowme, stoup or coig, bat with sick as ar seilit with the cowmond seill of the town

c. As a general term for any kind of ship or boat: A sailing vessel, a craft. 1582 Burntisland B. Ct. 24 May.
Anent the dewtie … off the schippis crearis or wtheris lumis quhilk cumis fourth off Norroway ladine with tymmer and arriwis to this hewine … that ewery ane off the saidis schippis or wtheris lummis be enterit [etc.]

3. Lokfast, also fast, close, lume, any receptacle fastened or secured by a lock: see Lokfast a. 1542 Perth Guildry 215 (24 Nov.).
All dewiteis and proffitis … salbe put and kepit be the dene of gild … in ane box or vther fast lwme 1556 Crim. Trials I. i. 393.
[Convicted of … breaking into the parish kirk of Forres and stealing … furth thereof] and lokfast lwmys being thairintill [of sundry sums of money (etc.)] 1559 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 41. 1561 Ib. 109.
The vesitouris … [to] mak just inventour off all guddis quhilk thai may apprehend out of lokfast lvmes, and seill and lok the saidis lokfast lvmes 1577 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 36. 1584 Reg. Privy C. III. 674.
To mak oppin durris and lokfast lumes patent and to use his hienes keyis thairto 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 416. 1587–8 Reg. Privy C. IV. 257. 1592 Acts III. 561/1. 1613 Stirling B. Rec. I. 134. 1622-6 Bisset II. 223/25.
Næ geir in schipis suld be stered out of cloise lumes quhill the merchandis … be presented to the admirall and siclyke pacquettis, bollis, maillis, tunnis etc. be nocht struckin up, to the awnaris hurte 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 283.
[They] brake up his kists, almereis, and uthers lockefast loomes 1638 Elphinstone Mun. 26.
Of all vther thingis … for sequestrating and putting of thame in ane lokfast chalmer and lokfast lomes thairintill to remane thairin vnder thair seale of office and handwrete

4. A weaving loom. Also fig.Also covering-, linin-, wollin- (wowin-) lume, and wobstar- (webster-), weaver-lume, see these words, also brabiner-lowme (s.v. Brabanar n.). 1516 Wigtown B. Ct. 55 b.
For the vrangus cutting of ii webbis in the lowmys 1530–31 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 110.
The alienation of ane tenement with … ane kyst, four greit treis of ane lowm of wovin 1538 Prestwick B. Rec. 54.
The wrangus wythaldin fra him of ane wovin luyme wyth al graith at pertenis to the said lwym Ib. 55.
Lwyme a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlviii. 43.
It is … Weill wrocht in the lwmis with wobster gwmis 1582 Brechin Test. I. 60 b.
Of vark lumis belanging to his vobster craft ane brod lowm thre narow lowmis 1596 Dunferm. Weavers 75.
To such masters of the craft as have but one going loom 1608 Glasgow Weavers 25.
To put Johne Walker his prenteis to work at the lumb 1611 Dunblane Test. III. 120 b.
The bred loumbe and the graith following it 1623 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 242.
Fourtie bobbones, four lumes 1628 Dundee B. Laws 527 (see Brade a. 2 (c)).
Bred lumbe, loumb 1635 Dumbarton B. Rec. 47.
[Which cloth] sche seeing spilt caust vissit the same and cut it out of the lums 1701 New Mills Manuf. 255.
About 50 peice whyt quhat are in the loombs in yearne and dressingfig. c1620 Z. Boyd Zion's Fl. App. 13/1.
Sorrows are as threeds a crosse In this our earthly loome

b. Attrib.Loumtre, one of the upright posts of a loom. Lume-work, woven material; lume-lais, lace made in a loom, woven lace.(1) 1530–1 Selkirk B. Ct. (S.R.S.) 11.
To deliver … the kyst and four loumtries of ane wovin loum(2) 1633 Edinb. Test. LVI. 358.
Awcht elnes halff elne of lwme work pryce of all tuell pund fyftein shillinges 1643 Ib. LX. 270 b.
Aucht lume work pursis and scheithes estimat all to xxxij lib. 1645 Ib. LXI. 118.
Certane blak & cullourit silk with some blak lume laisis