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 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Rer(e)ward(e, Reirward, n. [ME and e.m.E. rere-, reirward(e (14th c.), AF rerewarde (c1307).] The rearguard of an army. = Rer(e)-gard n. Also in fig. context. — 1375 Barb. xi 347.
He said the rerward he wald ma Ib. xiv 60.
The rerward Schyr Eduuard was Ib. xvi 58 (C).
Reirward c1475 Wall. vi 507.
The thrid thousand in [the] rerward he dycht 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 36.
In the reirward was the Erle of Bothwill —fig. 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xix.
The camshoch commons now at last coms in a rere warde to debate the cause