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

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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.

Bos, Boce, n.¹ Also: bose, booce, bois(e. [Of obscure origin.] A leather bottle for wine or other liquids. a1400 Leg. S. xliii. 532.
I can wele fynd Thi powesté lik a bose of wynd That fillit ware 1412 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 389.
To prufe … that he had assithit fullely Lankyn Wist, marchand of Brugis, the price of a boce of Maluesye 1490 Acta Conc. 129/1.
Thre malvysy bocis, price of the pece, viij s. vj d. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matt. ix. 17.
Nouthir men puttis new wyne into ald boces [Wycl. botelis] 1535 Stewart 35782.
For that caus tha keipit it als clois, As men wald keip balme riche in ane bois 1546 Acta Conc. MS. XXI. 55 b.
Twa inglis bosis price xx s; sax sekkis a1540 Freiris Berw. 157.
Haif thair ane pair of bossis, gud and fyne, Thay hald ane gallone full of Gascone wyne Ib. 188.
The pair of bossis hes scho tone a1578 Pitsc. I. 186/9.
The said Frincheman … send him the tuo bossis of mavasie Ib. 14.
The bossis was of the quantatie of tuo gallouns the peace 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. Pref. 24.
In rottin bosses no balme liquor lyes Ib. 921.
Seing his copburde come to nocht, Tua leathering bosses he hes bought 1589 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 540.
Ane bose for wyne, 6s. 8d. 1595 Duncan Appendix.
Uter, a wine boise 1590 Burel Pilgr. xxii.
The houlet had sick awful cryis Thay correspondit in the skyis As wind within a boce 1599 Black Bk. Taymouth 335.
[In the] Brewhous … off leddran bossis

b. Applied fig. to persons. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2580.
Thocht sum of ȝow be gude of conditione, Reddy for to ressaue new recent wyne, I speik to ȝow auld bosis of perditione 1558-66 Knox I. 99.
For the parte of the clargie, Hay Dene of Restalrige, and certane old boses with him Ib. 127.
The Bischope preached to his jackmen and to some old bosses of the toune