Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Stuf(f, v.¹ Also: stuffe, stufe. P.t. stuffit, -yt, -yd(e, stwffyt, stieved. P.p. stuffit(t, -yt, -yd(e, -ed, stufit, stuft, stuff. [ME and e.m.E. stoff(e (1375), stuff(e (1387-8), stof(e (1570), stuft (p.p., 1587), OF estoffer (c1190 in Wartburg), med. L. stuffare.]

1. a. To fortify (a castle, town, walls, ship, etc.) (with soldiers); to garrison (a castle, etc.); to furnish or equip (a fortified place) with resources in order to withstand hostile action. Freq. passive.(1) pres. 1481 Acts II 133/1.
Oure Souerane lord has ordanit to ger purway and stuff his castell … with vittale and artilȝeryp.t. c1420 Wynt. viii 1998.
Thare castellys … Wyth wyttayle thai stuffyd and lele persownysp.p. 1375 Barb. x 138.
At Lythkow wes than a pele Mekill and stark and stuffyt wele With Inglis-men 1375 Barb. xvii 213 (C).
That he vald … castell, and the toune … Stuff weill with men and vith vittaill And alkynd othir apparaill That mycht availl, or ȝeit mysteir Till hald castell or toune of wer 1375 Barb. xvii 264.
Berwik wes tane, and stuffit syne With men and vittale and armyne 1375 Barb. xvii 350.
Wardis … stuffit … With stanys, schot, and uther thing c1420 Wynt. ii 692.
Gert he schyppys thre Wytht armyd men sone stuffyt be c1420 Wynt. iv 1398.
Stuffyde c1420 Wynt. vii 2533.
Oure Kyng Alysawndyr … wan the castelle off Karlele, And all the town off it rycht welle Stuffyd wyth men and wyth wyttaile And tuk it till hym-selff c1475 Wall. x 816.
We may nocht fle fra ȝon barge … Weyll stuft thai ar with gwn ganȝe off steill 1513–14 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 11.
And siclike within the castell to be stuffit with men and artalȝery for defens tharof 1531 Bell. Boece II 434.
The town of Edinburgh was stuffit with mony sodjouris baith of Inglis and Scottis 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 560.
James Erll Bothuile … hes … stuffit and garnissit oure Soveranis castell of Dunbar with men, munitioun, and utherwayis(2) pres. 1513 Doug. xi ix 51.
‘A party of the citeȝanis,' he said, ‘Do stuf the entreis, and the portis defend’ 1579 Acts III 160/2.
Gif ony persone … stuf the housis of thame that ar convict of tressonep.t. c1420 Wynt. viii 4192.
Thir twa kepyd that castelle, And stwffyde [C. stuffit] it, and defendyde welle 1579 Reg. Privy C. III 132.
[Lauchlane M^cClayne] enterit in the said Hectouris castell … , tuik the same castell … with the munitioun, plennissing and furnissing being thairin and mannit and stuffit the said castell in weirlyke maner 1615 Bk. Islay 317.
The said castell, whilk thay stuffit and furneissit with muscattis, hagbuttis, poulder, leid, and vther weirlyk furnitourp.p. 1513 Doug. ix ii 14.
Troianys … Thar wallys stuffyt and closyt euery port 1531 Bell. Boece I 65.
Gillus, seand the see campis stuffit in all partis of Albion to resist his cuming 1531 Bell. Boece II 474.
Sone eftir, he went in Ingland, and left his house of Dunbar, weil stuffit, in keiping of his sister son, Robert Maitland 1542 Acts II 417/1.
The saidis castellis war haldin stuft and furnist 1572 Reg. Privy S. VI 276.
Schir Williame and utheris declarit tratouris … in rasing … men of weir aganis oure said soverane lord … quhilkis … hes fortefiit, stuffit and withhaldin the said burgh aganis his hienes 1577 Reg. Morton I 96.
The Castell of Edinburgh then being stuffit and detenit aganis his hienes be his rebellis 1579 Warrender P. (SHS) I 145.
Hammiltoun and Draffen being stuffitt wes detenit

b. To provision (a land, city, etc.); to furnish (it) (with (of) stock, resources, inhabitants, etc.). Freq. passive.(1) c1420 Wynt. i 564.
Wytht-in that ile ar citeis ten Stuffyt wytht catelle, gud, and men c1420 Wynt. ii 98.
Hyr landys … Scho stwffyt weylle … And gert thame weyll replenysyt be Wytht hors, and noyt, and othir fe c1420 Wynt. ii 511.
Off thare kyn thai stuffyt the land Qwhar before thai war duelland a1500 Henr. Fab. 360.
Scho passit to hir den … Full beinly stuffit … Off peis and nuttis, beinis, ry, and quheit 1478 Acts II 118/2.
It nedis scharp reuyllis tharuppon be counsale … quhill the realme may be stuffit of bulȝeone c1475 Wall. iii 17.
Inglismen … Be caryage brocht thair wictaill … Stuffit housis with wyn and gud wernage c1475 Wall. ix 620.
Wallang gart bryng fra Carlele cariage, To stuff Bothwell with wyn and gud warnage(2) c1420 Wynt. v Prol. 11.
Babylon … wes stuffyd plentwsly, And kyrnelyd abowt propyrly Throucht Symyram[us] the qweyne c1420 Wynt. vii 162.
All that was off mast valu, … tillhym-selff tuk he, And stuffyd gert swa hys tresore be 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 75.
The keparis of heretagis ar haldyn to restor to the ayr the heretagis stuffit & quyt of dettis 1483 Sc. Ch. Hist. Soc. Rec. VI 18.
Barnys … to stuf the queyr and mak service therein c1489 Liber Aberbr. II 263.
To be inbrocht be the said granitar … in quheit to stuff the place in the yeir as said is xxx chalder

2. To supply, furnish (a person) with money, equipment, etc. Freq. passive. 1375 Barb. xi 47.
Off tresour so stuffit is he, That he may vageowris haf plente c1420 Wynt. ii 361.
Joseph, throwch hys wertu gude, Stuffyt hys lord weylle off mone 14.. Acts I 108/2.
Ilk lord sal cum stuffyt & purvayt to the ost of caryage and vyttalis c1475 Wall. xi 25.
The Inglismen maid gret defens … Off gownnys thai war, and ganȝeis, stuffyt weill, All artailȝe and wapynnys off fyn steill a1568 Bann. MS 81a/10.
Quhill I had ony thing to spend And stuffit weill with warldis wrak a1568 Bann. MS 261b/5.
And sendis thair wyvis behind the ȝerdis Weill stuffit with mony and rewairdis 1584–5 Reg. Privy C. III 721.
A sufficient persone … stuffit with money to mak the expenssis

b. Stuffit in steill, equipped with, clad in, armour. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 200.
I may refresch yow with folk, to feght gif you nedis, … Weill stuffit in steill, on thair stout stedis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 678.
Right styth, stuffit in steill, thai stotit na stynt c1475 Wall. x 22.
The Sotheroun was rycht douchty in thair deid, To gydder straik, weyll stuffyt in steyll weid

c. To equip oneself with, put on (armour). a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 735.
Thai stuffit helmys in hy, Breist-plait and birny; Thay renkis maid reddy All geir that myght gane

d. To supply or furnish (a person) (with something non-material, information, learning, etc.). 1585 Misc. Bann. C. I 125.
Mr. Johnne Graham, Justice-deput was directit fra court, weill stuffit & replenissit with Arran's informatiouns 1638 Henderson Serm. 225.
[Moses] was a man well stuffed and plenished within, for he was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt

3. To supply (a hostile encounter, army, etc.) with reinforcements or other troops. 1513 Doug. x ii 89.
Or quhidder gif I evir into that weir Mynysterit dartis … Or ȝit that bargane stuffyt or bet, … With Cupydis blynd lust? 1513 Doug. x x 4.
Ceculus, … The bargane stuffis, relevand in agane 1533 Boece 393b.
The vantgarde was stuffit with archearis 1533 Bell. Livy II 77/16.
To stuffe this army … war ekit the auld centurions 1533 Bell. Livy II 107/2.
Stuffit he the batell weill with buschementis to ly at wait? 1533 Bell. Livy II 199/19.
That thir two vailȝeant campiouns sall nocht be doung perforce out of the landis that the goddis schew to thame for thare habitatioun, he stuffit thame with ane huge nowmer of pepill a1538 Abell 22a.
The Romanis failȝet in the first wyng of the batell bot prudentlie Wespasioun stuffit it with ane new legion and sa finalie the Romanis had the wictorie a1538 Abell 110a.
Nochtwith standing his deid the quene gart stufe the sege sayand quhem want we bot ane man 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6418.
Ane empreour … Quha had greit kingis into his companie, lordis, barrounis, [etc.] … Doing seruice … Sum for pastime and sum to stuf his weir

b. To stuff the (a) chas, to provide hostile pursuit. c1475 Wall. v 277.
To stuff the chas feyll frekis folowit fast c1475 Wall. x 268.
And we turn est, for strenth in Lowthiane land, Thai stuff a chas rycht scharp, I dar warrand Tak we the mur, ȝon king is ws befor c1475 Wall. v 935. c1475 Wall. viii 308. 1535 Stewart 48044.
Tha tuke haill purpois in that samin place, Efter King Edward for to stuffe ane chace

c. transf. To supply participants (for a dance). 16… Trip and Goe Hey in Wode's Psalter (ed.) 243.
It is the guyse of France, hey, That ye sould sing and play with us To stuffe [Forbes Cantus stuff] our jolly dance

4. a. To fill completely, cram full (a cushion, bed, etc.) with material used for stuffing, to stuff; to pad (a garment) with similar material. b. Said of the material used for stuffing.a. 1513 Doug. viii vi 128.
Apon a bed That stuffit was with levys [L. effultum foliis] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3125.
Oxin hydis Weill sewit to gydder … Quyke elephantis as thay had bene, Rycht weill stuft full of stray and hay 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 141.
Foure cusscheonis … stuffit with fethirs 1561 Treas. Acc. XI 66.
Item, for making of the saidis vj cussinettis, ilk cussinat haifand ane stirrope girth stuffit witht downisb. 1497–8 Halyb. 47.
For hardis to stuf with 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 44.
Flokkis to stuff the pannellis of the mulettis sadillis a1568 Jok & Jynny 51.
Fyve fidder of raggis to stuff ane iak

5. To fill completely, cram full (a hollow space or receptacle).(a) c1500 Rowll Cursing 162 (M).
Snaykis serpentis and edderis Mot stuf ȝour bellies and ȝour bledderis In hellis hole 1501 Treas. Acc. II 107.
For caddas to stuf the litil coffrez with jowales and pakking threid to bind the samyn for breking of the jowales 1513 Doug. i vii 30.
Beys … with sweit liquour stuffis thar cellis scheyn 1513 Doug. ii i 13.
The belly was stuffit … Ful of knychtis armyt in plait of steill 1513 Doug. ii iv 68.
This fatale monstre … stuffit ful of armyt men(b) ?1661-5 M. Bruce Soul-Confirmation 19.
I am … like a sojourner with his knapsack on his back it may be I came to a good house long syne, and I stieved the knapsack well now I am going through a long muer where there is nothing to be gotten and I tak doun the knapsack and I take a 20 years old experience … and I will sit down and take a meal of meat of it

b. To fill (a building) full of people. 1572 Bann. Memor. 268.
The prisonis of the toun, which wer stuffed full of protestantis

c. ? To fill a person's clothes or ? to surround a person (with something). a1578 Pitsc. II 135/31.
Thay … presenttit him to the fyre and first spoillȝeit him of his wmest claithis and syne stuffit him witht pulder

d. transf., only p.p. Of a person: Filled with (of) something non-material, an emotion, etc. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1058 (Arund.).
O blisfull lady, … Stuffit of marcy

e. To block an aperture by filling it with some suitable material. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 43.
The wallis rycht stronglie stuffit with faill

f. reflex. Of people: To crowd or mass together in a solid body. 1494 Loutfut MS 132b.
The ferd that makis the enemys mair courageus & mair redy to withstand is forsicht for quhen thai ar forsene & wat of the cummyn of thair fais thai stuf thaim the mair to gidder and ar les afferd of thair meting

6. fig. To fill, cram (a speech, writing) (with objectionable material). 1573 Tyrie in Cath. Tr. 3/2.
All the writtinges of those quha defendes ane euill caus, … vsis to be stufit … with schoring and hedinfull saingis 1573 Cath. Tr. 3/2.
Writtinges … stufit … with wordes craftelie … coloret, … conuenient … to impesche and trauel men of gud ingyne … to cum to the understanding of the veritie 1639 Spalding I 222.
Haill volums ar spred … not onlie stuffit with suche reproachis aganist almost the haill kingdome … bot also conteining vowis and thretninges of examplarie pvnishment vpone suche as we ar reported to be