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

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About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Bos, Boys, a. Also: bose, bois. [Of obscure origin; perhaps f. Bos n.¹ or n.²]

1. Hollow; concave. 1513 Doug. i. ii. 50.
He persit the bos [L. cavum] hill at the braid sy de Ib. vii. x. 74.
Bos bukleris coverit with cuyrbulȝe Ib. x. xi. 81; etc.
Furth of ane boys clowd 1533 Boece xiv. xiv. 568 b.
His jevellouris … at his nether conditt schot in ane tre bois and holkit 1581 Sat. P. xliv. 141.
His boss bellie, ramforsit with creisch and lie, Vill serue to be a gabion in neid c1590 J. Stewart 202 § 8.
As … cymbal bois that dois tinkling mak 1587-99 Hume 77/312.
They. are bot stocks and stains, bos, deid, and dum 1609 Gardyne Garden 49.
A band of bosse and bloodles bains 1629 Elgin Rec. II. 211.
Ther faces seimed whyt and as lane, but ther backis wer bos lyk fidles 1652 Montgomery Mem. 317.
A braclet or chaine of prettie bose gold work 1670 Red Bk. Grandtully II. 194.
I know they [sc. buttons] ar all bosse 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 357.
7 bows. A boss reid. 3 iron clubs

2. Bos window, a bow or bay window. 1502 Treas. Acc. II. 33.
The bos windo of the chamer in the abbay 1502–3 Ib. 362.
The loft quhair the bos windo wes 1531 M. Works Acc. II. 5.
vij grete lychtis … attour the four grete bund bos irne wyndois 1532 Ib. 29 b.
The imputting of the grete bois windois 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 268.
For ane schot to the ovir bos window; … twa bands to the bos window a1578 Pitsc. I. 223/10.
Witht all the laif of the lordis … quhilk was enterit in to the bose wondow 1600-1610 Melvill 82.
Turning him selff to the bos windo, whar … the erl of Morton was standing 1600 Reg. Privy C. VI. 140.
In the bois windo [of the tolbooth] … the ordinair place for criminall persons callit to thair tryall 1653 Hope Diary 160.
Standing in the bosse window and leaneing upon the backe of a cheire

3. Bos lok, some special type of lock. 1538 M. Works Acc. V. 38.
Ane grete stok lok to the vikat of the bak ȝet, & ane bois lok with stapillis thairto 1558–9 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 296.
For ane bois lok and bak band to keip the dure and stapillis to it 1558–9 Ib. 301.
Twa bos lokis to the Kirk of Feild Port 1591 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 338.
Mussis Well … Item, tua bois lokis to it 1626 M. Works Acc. XIX. 28.
Ane great hinging bos lock for the foirsaid ȝett