Dictionaries of the Scots Language
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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

PRENT, n., v. Also praint (Abd. 1909 J. Tennant Jeannie Jaffray 249). Sc. forms and usages of Eng. print:

I. n. 1. As in Eng. (Ayr. 1786 Burns To J. Smith vii.; Rnf. 1815 W. Finlayson Rhymes 10; Ags. 1872 J. Kennedy Jock Craufurt 33). Combs. and phrs.: (1) can ye read old prent?, a remark made to change the direction of a difficult conversation or distract attention from a vexed or embarassing topic, “Have you read any good books lately?” (Abd. 1900); (2) prent-buik, a printed book, freq. in similes of human beings, as typifying learning and authority (‡Abd. 1966), e.g. to speak like a prent buik, to speak with an air of knowledge, to speak learnedly or volubly, sometimes connoting affectation; (3) print-field, see Printfield n.; (4) that beats prent!, an exclamation of surprise or disbelief, sc. “I wouldn't have believed it if I'd read it in a book!”(2) Sc. 1736 Ramsay Proverbs (1776) 34:
He speaks like a print book.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xxxix.:
She wampishes about her arms, and gets to her English, and speaks as if she were a prent book, let a-be an auld fisher's wife.Ags. 1833 J. S. Sands Poems 93:
Readin' in a prent book bright O' a giant.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb x.:
I dinna believe but ye cud mak' up a prent buik an' ye war to try.

2. A piece of butter, gen. weighing either a quarter- or half-pound, moulded into a pat and imprinted with a decorative motif by means of a wooden or metal mould (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 229; Cld. 1880 Jam., print; ne. and m.Sc., Uls. 1966). Now only dial. in Eng. Dim. printie, id. Also applied to a similar pat for individual use, as much as one person would use at a time (Jam.).Rnf. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 210:
Meg was bright's a Lamas moon Her cheeks they shone like prints o' butter.Abd. 1867 A. Allardyce Goodwife 9:
I leyks roon prents o' butter tee.Uls. 1879 W. Lyttle Paddy McQuillan 11:
It's a sicht tae see fifteen knives playin' dab at the yin prent o' butter.Dmb. 1886 Trans. Highl. Soc. 47:
The butter is sold by the “print” or the lb. to private families, or in lots to shopkeepers.wm.Sc. 1923 H. Foulis Hurricane Jack 35:
Take a good big can wi' ye, and don't bring less than two or three prints o' butter.Abd. 1965 Buchan Observer (31 Aug.) 6:
It [a scythe]'s sae blunt it wad hardly slice a print o' butter.

II. v. As in Eng. (Ayr. 1789 Burns Grose's Peregrinations i.; Gsw. 1898 D. Willox Poems 266; Abd. 1904 W. Farquhar Fyvie Lintie 78; Sc. 1964 Weekly Scotsman (16 July)). Deriv. prenter, a printer (Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 34). Ppl.adj. prentit, printed. Phr. like a prentit buik, see I. 1. (2); vbl.n. prentin, a footprint (Mry. c.1850 Pluscarden MS.).Ags. 1776 C. Keith Farmer's Ha' xlv.:
They were on the tenter-hook, For smithy-chat; And now, I trow, like printed book, He gi'es them that.w.Lth. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick vi.:
I likit weel to hear him propheseein the ruin o' the kintra: he reeled it aff like a prentit buik.