A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1577-1698
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1]
Post, Poist, adv. [e.m.E. (to ryde etc.) post(e (1549), poast, ? orig. abbrev. f. the phrases in Post n.2 3 and 4.] = Post n.2 4 a and b. Also (to ride) journey and post, Journe(e n. 3 b.
b. comb. in postrinner, one who travels at speed or post-haste.(1) a1578 Pitsc. II 37/30.
The Laird of Ballcleuch … quho raid post and tyrit his horse for he had ridin all night 1603 Reg. Privy C. VI 567.
That na persone … imped … all sik as sall ryd poist, aither in cairrying of pacquet or utherwayes 1603 Haddington Corr. 212.
Directit his sone poist to Ingland … with letteris 1612 Thanes of Cawdor 225.
The chancellar is going post to court 1631 Justiciary Cases I 188.
The Marques of Hammiltoun haifing cum poist frome Scotland in thrie dayes c1650 Spalding I 170.
He … sendis post efter the Laird of Cluny to stay his journey 1695 Annandale Corr. 110.
M. goes doun post on Munday. He can wheedle noe body here(2) fig. 1615 Mure Early Misc. P. xiv 4.
Quhill he liued, to Pluto [he] raid post 1638 J. Row Sermon 4.
We were like blind Balaam, … riding post to Rome 1653 Binning Wks. 377.
Men begin at leisure but they run post before all be done 1685 Hay Fleming Six Saints I 132.
Ye are fighting for hell, and running post to it 1698 S. Ronaldshay 72.
Some of the best heritors were running post to the devillb. 1596 Dalr. II 403/22.
Thir postrinneris [L. præfractarii] beginis to contemne the command [supra, 402/28, to S. Androis with speid on speidie horse tha spur]
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Post adv.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/post_adv>
