Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Bule, Buyl, n.¹ Also: buyll, buill, bowyll. [ME. bule (Orm), obscurely related to bole Bole and bul Bull n.¹] A bull.The spelling bull is sometimes used where the rhyme requires bule. 1375 Barb. xviii. 275 (E).
Bot cataill haf thai fundyn nane, Owtakyn a bule, that wes haltand a1400 Leg. S. iv. 328.
Scho had bulis wilde and tate Ib. xlix. 226.
Bulys that ar fel haf I c1420 Wynt. ii. 1269 (C).
A taur, that is a buyl, but weyn, Scho saw ner by hir Ib. 1282.
Fra plasse to plasse the buyl walde stere 1456 Hay II. 157.
Sum man is … cruell and felloun as a bule c1475 Wall. ix. 15.
The Bulys cours so takin had his place 1488 Acta Aud. 115/1.
Twa ȝoung oxin, a bule 1505 Exch. R. XII. 673.
Item with Jhone M^cGillemoyll j bowyll c1500-c1512 Dunb. l. 41.
He said he was ane licherus bull [: fuill] Id. lix. 27.
That ladis may bait hym lyk a buill 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 95.
Scho wald … buller lyke ane bull [: fule, Ȝule] 15.. Christis Kirk 181 (B).
Quhen thay had berit lyk baitit bulis [: mulis] 1562 Will Agnes Betoun 223.
xxiii ky and ane buyll a1578 Pitsc. I. 149/27.
Presentand to thame ane buillis heid 1596 Dalr. I. 29/20.
In this wod war … oxne and bules snawquhyte