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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Bludy, a. Also: bludie, bluidy, bluddy, -ie; blody, blodi(e, bloudy, -ie. [Northern ME. bludy, ME. blody, blodi, OE. blódiᵹ.]
1. Stained, smeared, covered, or mingled with blood. Bla and bludy, bludy and bla: see Bla a. ? a 1200 Acts I. 37/1.
Si quis verberando fecerit aliquem blaa et blodi 1375 Barb. x. 628.
Swerdis … War till the hyltis all bludy Ib. xiv. 221.
The rewis all bludy war Of slayne men c1420 Wynt. v. 3484.
Thare the spere he fand bludy 1456 Hay I. 15/7.
A grete frost … mellit with blude, the quhilk bludy frost was castyn apon the erde c1450-2 Howlat 535.
The Dowglas in armes the bludy hart beris c1475 Wall. i. 231.
Wallace … The bludy knyff bar drawin in his hand c1500 Fyve Bestes 156.
All the panys of his bludy wound c1500-c1512 Dunb. vii. 76.
Saturnus doune … did blent Throw bludy visar Ib. ix. 3.
Thy bludy figour dolorus 1513 Doug. iii. ix. 57.
Ful of vennom and mony bludy meys 1531 Bell. Boece I. 121.
The occiane see apperit bludy c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 87.
Find me ane dog, … Hes maid sa mony bludie sarkis! 1560 Rolland Seven S. 41/33.
Knaw ȝe not … How ȝour curst sone hes maid bludie my face? a1605 Montg. Son. xlviii. 14.
My ladyis bagie beirs my bluidy hart 1596 Dalr. II. 108/13.
The kings bluddie sark vp tha schawe for thair ansinȝie
b. With the bludy hand, red-handed. 1537 Reg. Privy S. II. 346/2.
For art and part of the slauchter of … M. George Lindesay, and of the mutilatioun of Patrik Lindesay … in passing away with the committaris tharof with the bludy hand 1552 Buccleuch Mun. II. 211.
Vnder greitt assurance to the taikin ȝe ȝeid away with the bludy hand
c. In abusive use. 1547–9 Lib. Offic. S. Andree 139.
Sayand and allegand ȝow ane commown bluidy huir
2. Resembling blood; blood-shot. 1513 Doug. iv. xii. 3.
The bludy eyn rollyng in hir hed
3. Consisting of blood. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matt. ix. 20.]
[A woman, that had the bludy flux xii yere c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3914.
The bludy strandis, Quhilkis sprang furth of his feit and handis
4. Marked by effusion of blood. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 1/1.
The horribill batellis and the bludy harmes … of Romanis 1533 Boece i. iii. 37.
Sare and bludy in the begynnyng was this were 1572 Sat. P. xxxvi. 89.
This vnhonest, bludie blok Surpassis far thy tressounis all of auld 1596 Dalr. I. 173 marg.
A bludie batteil heir is fochtne
5. Delighting in blood; bloodthirsty. 1567 G. Ball. 104.
Ȝour bludie boist na syith can satisfie 1567 Sat. P. iii. 66.
Bludy boucheouris and throtcutters 1570 Ib. xx. 170.
That campion of Babilon, That bludy beildar vp a1578 Pitsc. I. 100/26.
Be ressoun the king was bot ane blodie murtherar of his awin bloode a1585 Maitl. Q. lxii. 129.
O cruell fals dissaitful bludie beistis 1622-6 Bisset II. 165/3.
Ane licherus bludie tiran 1614 Highland P. III. 164.
That fals generatioun and bludie pipill
6. In comb. with barkit, rede. 15.. Christis K. 197.
Bludy berkit wes thair beird As thay had wirreit lammis 1533 Boece iv. iv. 130 b.
The grete occiane flowit bludy rede
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"Bludy adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 24 Dec 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bludy_adj>