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.

Cro, Croy, n.¹ [Sc. and Ir. Gaelic cró fold, hut, Icel. kró sheepfold. Latinized as croa, croya (12th c.). See also Crove, Crue, and Cruve.]

1. An enclosure of wickerwork or wooden spars constructed in a river as a means of catching fish.Found chiefly in Latin documents in the Latinized forms and in the plural. 1288 Exch. R. I. 42.
Per decidenciam croarum de Karamund, iij s. 1318 Acts I. 109/1.
Omnes illi qui habent croas vel piscarias vel stagna Ib.
Tales croe & machine infra posite 1369 Reg. Great S. (1814) 66/1.
Cum piscariis infra aquas de Northesk et Suthesk, in crois, yaris, et rethibus antiquitus consuetis 1387 Exch. R. III. 155.
Pro dampnis que sustinuerunt in distruccione piscacionis sue, scilicet crois 1458 Ib. VI. 414.
Per … oneracionem croyarun de Erth de anno 1474 Reg. Great S. 239/1.
Cum potestate … ponendi croas et le cowpis super dictaim aquam 1493 Acta Aud. 179/2.
That Iohne Erskin … dois na wrang in the occupation of the croys of Montros and fisching of the sammyn 1531 Ayr Charters 102.
Unacum croa sive crois, ly cruyse, pro piscaria salmonum in dicta aqua Ib. 103.
Locum sive loca dicte piscarie, ly crois, in quodam vado antedicte aque 1641 Acts V. 469/1.
[The two] brak vp ane daill of on of the laird of Morphies croes … quhairin at that tyme thair wes no watter

2. A structure to protect a river-bank. 1510–3 Rentale Dunkeld fol. 157.
Alloc. eid. per solucionem factam seruentibus circa lie bulwark & croy pro munitione earundem 1630 Chron. Perth 32.
The fynes … wer bestowit on the … bigging of croyis for saiftie of the toun

3. A small hut or hovel; a sty. 15.. Berdok 3.
Quhen Phebus rang in sing of Capricorn, And the mone wes past the gusis cro 1570 Sat. P. xxiv. 66.
Ȝe sawe ȝour selfis the Inglis men raid neir For all ȝour craking, caigit within ane cro