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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tro(u)ch, n. Also: tro(u)cht, tro(u)che, trowch(t, trough, tro(u)ghe, truch, troich, troych(t, troyt, throcht, throycht, trufe, trou, trow, (turf). [ME and e.m.E. trow (c1325), trogh, trough(e (both Chaucer), OE troᵹ, ON trog.]

1. A trough, a container or vessel of wood, stone or metal for holding liquid, etc. Also, a trough-like object, container, vat, etc., for some specified purpose or operation (freq., with defining word).For further examples see Baking-trouch n., Bark-troch n., kilne troch Kiln(e n. b, Knoking-trowch n., Laven-trouch n., lyme trowcht Lime n. 5, swine trow Swine n. 1 e (8), tar trouch Tar n. 2 a.(1) c1350 Reg. Episc. Morav. 367.
In brasina … algeam wlgariter le trowch 1461 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 85.
In brasina vnum plumbum cum cuppa que dicitur masfate vel caldarium et algeam que dicitur le trovch 1488 Treas. Acc. I 81.
In a trouch of cipre tre within the said box, a point maid of perle contenand xxv perle 1501 Exch. R. XII 236.
iiij gyll fattis, and ane trouch of tree 1513 Doug. viii vii 177.
Sum of the trowch apon the sparkand gledis The byssand watir strynklys and ourspredis a1540 Freiris Berw. 350 (M).
Trouche [B. troch] 1563 Dumfries B. Ct. 16 Oct.
The best staine trowcht … to stand vnremovit to the air 1594 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 533.
For tua trouchis to kept the water that fallis frome the leid guitteris(b) 1536 Lynd. Answ. Flyting 53.
Remember how besyde the masking fat Ȝe caist ane quene ouerthort ane stinking troch 1546–7 Reg. Great S. 20/2 n.
Ane gret flesch fatt, 40 s.; 5 trochis of aik, price of the pece 13 s. 4 d. a1568 Jok & Jynny 35.
My berne scho sayis hes of hir awin … ane pott ane pek Ane tub ane barrow … Ane turf ane troch and ane meil sek 1583–4 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 321.
That the said milleris … help the said nichtbouris childer and seruands to cast the quheitt owt of the troch 1597–8 Misc. Spald. C. II 137.
The saidis twa scheip saltit in ane troche 1635 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 46.
At the coynehous … Sax tree troghes 1645–6 J. Hope Diary (1958) 148.
They put 4 baskett of coalles … to 12 litle troches heaped full of the metall a1651 Calderwood VII 128.
At the verie entrie of the kirk doore he had almost broken his legge; for a great stone … steeped downe with him alone, and fell doun in a troughe 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 366.
A timber troch with a cover(c) 1535 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V (Jam.).
Ane troycht & tua aiking buyrdis a1540 Freiris Berw. 206 (B).
Hyd ȝow … In to ȝone troich … lyis mekle & huge in all ȝone nwke It held a boll of meill 1543 Aberd. B. Rec. MS V (Jam.).
Troyt(d) 1560 Aberd. B. Rec. I 329.
Lawaris and throchtis of bras(e) 14.. Burgh Laws c. 91 (B).
Na man dwelland in the burgh to halde swyne in it bot gyf he hafe kepyng on thaim or fede thaim in atrufe(f) a1568 Jok & Jynny 35 (see (b) above).(2) 1542 Acts & Decr. I 141.
Ane baiking troych — a1500 Henr. Fab. 147 (Makc.).
A sow, to quhome men for the nonys In hir draff trowch [Ch. troich, Harl. troch] wald saw the precius stonys — 1534 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 144.
The knoking trouch — 1531–2 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 116.
And quhen he pas fra it he sal leff ane stand bed, mortar troucht and chir — 1566–7 Treas. Acc. XII 406.
To ane man for fetching afeild and bearing haym of ane borrowit tar trough quhairin was tarrit the cransis — 1508 Treas. Acc. IV 140.
To him he laid doun for ane watir trouch for the smyddye 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 119.
Thrie daillis to be ane watter troch 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 368.
In the hen house … 2 watter troichs — a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1305.
Quhen ye come in a gustles house, steir the wesch trocht about — 1542 Acts & Decr. I 141.
Ane … wort throycht

b. comb. With stone, a stone trough. 1587 Paterson Ayr & Wigton I 168.
In the brew hows ane brewing leid, ane troche stane, ane masking fatt 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 69.
For a troch stane that haldis water to the smythis 1670 Glasgow Trades House 447.
For ane workman and on to serve him and for laying ane troch stone 1696 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World Suppl. xxxi.
It cast a ploughsock at him, and also an trough-stone upwards of three stone weight

2. A pipe, channel, conduit or the like for water. Also, specif., the channel or pipe conducting water to a mill-wheel.(a) 1475 Ayr B. Ct. 139b (26 May).
The state & possession that he had of the ta half of his place lyand next Mechell Mason with the half of the ȝet truch gangand vp & down to the watter 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 106.
To the sawaris for sawin of ane spar for ane troucht to ane jawe stane 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 107.
For … irne … to be … bottis to beir the troucht of the jawe stane 1541 Edinb. Guild Ct. 13 May.
Ordanis Johne Fawside of his consent to mak ane troch & gutter abone his stair 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II 309.
The beitting and mending of the fyve commoun mylnis, making of thair haill watter wallis, scheitts and trouchtis 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I 262.
To iiij myllars for howking of the trowchis 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I 262.
For v laid of lyme to hirle the trowchis 1701 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 280.
Desyring that they might be allowed to carry the superfluous water from the trochs of the wells(b) 1607 Reg. Privy C. VII 447.
[Reft the] haill trowis, … tymmer, walplattis … windaissis … belanging to … the saidis workis [sc. mills] 1623 Linlithgow B. Rec. 5 Dec.
Daillis to mend the trowis and wattir wall of the loch milne 1661 Stirling Common Good 5.
For upputting of the trous of the borrow milne 1661 Stirling Common Good 8.
For making new trows to the bridge miln

3. a. The channel or bed of a river. b. A river-valley.(1) 1513 Doug. ix i 76.
Lyke as sum tyme Ganges, the flude Indane, … In hys deip trowch now flowys esely 1533 Boece 157.
Quhare the streme rynnys in ane narrow trouch, betuix heich brayis(2) 1668 Lauder Jrnl. 183.
A man has a most fair prospect both up the river and doune the river of all the trough of Clyde