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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.

Chear(e, Cheir(e, n. Also: cheyar(e, -ere, -ir, cheyr(e, chere; tcheir, scheir, scheyr. [ME. cheiere, cheyer, e.m.E. cheyar, rare variants of chaiere, etc. Chair n.¹ See also Chyar and Chyre.]

1. A chair. Also attrib. with nail.Cheir (or chere) of ese: see Ese n.(a) a1400 Leg. S. i. 150.
Thai … ane cheare mad, and thar-in sete Sanct Petir Ib. xlvii. 184. c1420 Wynt. iii. 41.
Off his cheare quharein he sat This kyng Eglon ras wp Ib. v. 5537.
That ymage … tuk hys set in a cheyare [: thare] 1500–1 Acta Conc. II. 477.
Twa sidburdis, ane hie burd, ane chear, ane forme 1533 Boece i. ii. 35 marg.
The marbill throne or chear 1580 Cath. Tr. 42/24.
The Donatistes, quha called the cheare of Rome the cheare of pestilence 1588 St. A. Test. II. 97.
Ane aikin chear price x s., … ane furm price v s. 1622-6 Bisset II. 204/10.
Fferquharde … send his sone Ferguse … with the marbill chear heir in Scotland c1650 Spalding I. 31.
Patrik Bischop of Abirdein, sitting in his awin chear … wes … suddantlie strikin in ane apoplexie 1651 Buccleuch Mun. II. 290.
Aucht old schewit stoollis and cheares 1673 Leith Customs 10.
1 dozen wand cradles and a wand cheare Ib. 14.
6000 cheare naills(b) a1400 Leg. S. xix. 393.
Thane his men … Hynt hyme vpe, & in cheyre set 1478 Acta Aud. 82/1.
For a turnyt chere, iiij s. 1489 Dunferm. B. Rec. 7.
Mege Hutone in amerciament for the wrangwis haldyn a cheir fra George of Kynros 1502 Treas. Acc. II. 33.
Ane burd of cipir and ane chere of the samyn 1503 Ib. 227.
For v cheris of estait 1561 Invent. Q. Mary 34.
Ane heich cheir of crammosie veluot 1578 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 57 b.
Sex cheiris of aik, tuelff cuischsingis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1953.
I sall sit heir, into this tcheir 1603 Treas. Acc. MS. 241.
Ane tymber bed and ane faldand cheyre 1622-6 Bisset II. 181/25.
Quhair evir that marbill fatell cheir is fund the Scottis sall bruik that land 1623 Edinb. Test. LII. 21 b.
Thrie lytill ledder cheyres with tua auld cheyres 1653 Soc. Ant. XXIII. 302.
Two arm'd cheyres cover'd with reed cloth 1653 Hope Diary 160.
Standing in the bosse window and leaneing upon the backe of a cheire(c) 1579 Brechin Test. I. 15 b.
Ane furme and ane scheir 1631 Edinb. Test. LV. 176 b.
Tua scheyres and tua buffett stuilles

2. A sedan chair. 1664 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp. 40.
For a cheyre in the morneing and a nother afternoon