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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Palm(e, n.² [ME. (north.) and e.m.E. palme (c 1400), paulme (Caxton), also ME. and e.m.E. paume (14th c.), pawm(e, F. paume (OF. also paulme), L. palma, MDu. palme.]

1. The palm of the hand. 14.. Burgh Laws c. 12(A).
And gif the maister … gifis ony of thaim a buffat with his neff or with his palme [etc.] 1549 Compl. 7/23.
He … brocht the palmis of his handis ful of that fresche vattir to the kyng for ane present Ib. 145/11.
In the palmis of ther handis 1587 Carmichael Etym. 4.
Palma, the palme of the hand c1590 Fowler I. 117/138.
[He] was opning wpp his hand and palme and falding than his niwe

2. The breadth of the human palm as a measure of length. Also comb. in palm-bread, id.Cf. F. paume, id.(1) 1528 Lynd. Dreme 649.
Ane fute, four palmes … Ane palme, four inche 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 2 b.
xviii thowsand & 600 & fowr scoir of palmes is ane myile(2) 1611 Reg. Panmure I. xcv.
The harne pan gryte, and vanted the palme bread of ane hand thearof, quhilk had beine the straik as appeirithe of ane sword

3. a. A stroke on the palm with an instrument of punishment (cf. Palmer(e n.²)Cf. OF. paume, id. (14th c. in Godef.).

b. = Palmer(e n.² 1562 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 6.
The servandis and childrene of ilk house to be puneist with ane palm vpone the hand for ilk falt 1581 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 40.
That all good nytbors … have a box … hung above his board with ane palm hung therat for correcting the banners and swearers in ther oun domestick house

4. transf. a. (Only in Doug.) The blade of an oar.Answering to L. palma and palmula in the same use, also MDu. palme, id. 1513 Doug. v. iv. 9.
The palmys of our arys Ib. vii. i. 8.
Out our the calm streym … With ayris palmys sweip thai furth thar way Ib. x. iv. 122.
The braid palmys of tre

b. The hand of a clock.This sense only Sc. 1629 Boyd Last B. (1629) 519.
The palme turneth about, and with its finger pointeth at the houre 1629 Misc. Maitl. C. III. 370.
For gilting of the horolage brodis and palmes 1660 R. Lowrie God Save the King 18.
It is like the palme of the horologe to tellthe time

c. Applied to a flat widened part at the end of something projecting. 1684 Wodrow Hist. (1828) IV. 50.
Thirteen of them made shift to get out underneath the palm of the Canongate steeple