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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Dede, Deid, n.¹ Also: ded, deide, deyd(e, died, deed, dead(e. [ME. deede, dede, ded, OAngl. dēd, WS. dæd.]

1. A deed or act.(a) 1375 Barb. i. 375.
He wes in all his dedis lele Ib. iii. 731.
He that wes In all hys dedys awise a1400 Leg. S. xiv. 86.
Quhen God our dedis sal assa Ib. xxxiii. 121.
That scho do nocht sa fule a dede c1420 Wynt. iv. 74.
He … dyde off profyte dedys sere Ib. 171.
The tothir argwe suld his dede 1456 Hay I. 139/12.
A gude dede requeris ane othir Ib. 278/12.
Men that had grete dedis ado c1460 Wisd. Sol. 707.
Wysdome schawis nocht in wordis bot in dedis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 190.
He has … fair wordis but effect, all fruster of dedis 1533 Bell. Livy II. 48/30.
Sall this wikkit dede be blawin on bried? 1533 Gau 23/3.
The halie apostlis … (as it is writine in the v chaiptur of thair dedis) c1568 Lauder Minor P. ii. 55.
Auld gude done dedis ar quyte forget(b) a1400 Leg. S. xii. 224.
He … all his deydis tald hyre till c1420 Wynt. viii. 958.
All this deide as thai sawe dwne Ib. 3207.
To fulfill In till that deyd all that thai thowcht c1450 Cr. Deyng 141.
Thow has done mony gud deid a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 879.
Quhar our derne deidis sall be examynat 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 440.
Vndir his charge na wrangwys deid may fall c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 86.
He was … in all deidis honorabill 1570 Sat. P. xxiii. 9.
The worthie deids done be that Prince sinceir 1596 Dalr. II. 415/17.
That ȝour actis be in verie deid cloise contrare thae deidis

b. A notable act (esp. in warfare); an exploit. Freq. with defining term as dede of armis, douchty dede, etc. 1375 Barb. i. 17.
For auld storyis, that men redys, Representis to thaim the dedys Of stalwart folk, that lywyt ar c1420 Wynt. iii. 727.
Armys off thaire awncestry, Or ony dedys off chewalry Ib. v. 1816.
Off his douchty dedis sere I wyll tell na mare than I wate 1456 Hay I. 37/33.
Of him [sc. Alexander] thare is a grete buke, and of his dedis c1450-2 Howlat 505.
Throwout Cristindome kid War the deidis that he did 1490 Irland Mir. I. 10/3.
In cheualry & nobile deidis of armez c1500-c1512 Dunb. l. 11.
He did full mony valȝeant deid 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. iv.
The cuming of Saxonis … , thair weiris, slichtis, and marciall dedis 15.. Clar. v. 3004.
Quhilk was in deids of arms ane A per se c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 230.
The douchtie deidis that he did thair 1596 Dalr. I. 169/17.
To win honour and gloir throuch martial deides

c. A kind or charitable act. With defining terms as dede of almous, cherité, etc. Guid deid, a benefit. a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv. 217.
The dedis of mercy He hir taucht al parfytly c1420 Wynt. v. 5432.
He … dyd gret dedys off almws 1456 Hay I. 70/24.
To defend haly kirk … or othir dedis of cheritee to fulfill c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 33/2.
The deidis of almos and mercye bath spirituale and corporale c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 26.
The sevin deidis of mercy corporall Ib. xxxix. 33.
Quha that dois deidis off petie 1565 Edinb. B. Deeds 186.
Gif ... Johne gaif ane coupe of siluer ... or ony vther gude deid to Mergaret 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 324.
The ten pund of gude deid in the said Charles hand 1616 Crim. Trials III. ii. 387.
Robert Phillipis ayth … that he is nocht Drumlangrigis pensioner, and that he hes na guid deid of him 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. xxv. 1.
Bribing is the taking of money or other good deed [etc.]

d. A wrong or criminal act; an act of violence. 1398 Acts I. 211/1.
Articlys … sal be putte in acte with the … namys of thaim that arr consilouris in that deid, swa that the consail with hym beande sal ansuere for his dede 1429 Ib. II. 19/2.
Sa that the party playntife mak prufe of the dede or of manance … done till hym 1456 Hay I. 87/29.
Thare suld nane evill dede be excusit be the prouffit that hapnis to cum tharof Ib. II. 30/29.
Quhen a knycht defendis ane other that is false … , he is wer na he that did the dede c1500 Fyve Bestes 41.
He … in rememberans evir of thar deidis Gart thaim sit dovne, and straik of baith thair heidis 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 53.
Laocon justly … Has deir ybocht his wikkit and schrewit deid 1570 Sat. P. xxiv. 43.
Deir sall ȝe by ȝone foule vnduchtie deid 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV. 279.
Thay depairtit … undoing ony violent deid 1592 Digest Justiciary Proc. P. 20.
This criminall caus is foundit upoun ane particular deid allegit done be the pannell 1610 9th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 240/2.
Hee hes accuset na man … to be airt or pairt of that deid

e. An act of legal import or consequence. 1516 Reg. Privy S. I. 422/2.
To … use all lefull dedis … siclyk in all thingis as thai mycht have done of before thai war convict of the said wilfull errour 1586 Grant Chart. 161.
Ane sufficient chairtour … of alienatione … in so far as may concerne the said Ihone Grant … his awin deid, and … his grandschere, and his gwdschear, thair awin deidis alanerlie 1622-6 Bisset I. 231/15.
Quhen any is decerned … to do any deid, and dois it nocht, he may be charged 1625 Urie Baron Ct. 59.
To enter thairwith … but actioun of ejectioun, intermissioun or any deid off wrang 1635 Peebles Gleanings 206.
By debarring all utheris from doing of all deidis ather of propertie or commountie within the saidis boundis

2. In collective sense: Acts, doings.Also with qualifying terms, as in 1 b, etc.(a) 1375 Barb. xvi. 323 (E).
Couth he … with mesur haf led his dede a1400 Leg. S. v. 610.
In Ingland that tym ves a knycht, In ded of armys that ves vycht c1420 Wynt. i. 626.
Owre gylt and all oure wrangwys dede Ib. v. 2657.
Hys sone … That worthyt … off sa stowt and sturdy dede 1456 Hay I. 160/35.
Quhy … suld thai be oprest be were or dede of armes? Ib. 166/11.
To tak my payment be dede of were a1500 Bk. Chess 2009.
A fule … That for the sicht of flowris in the meid Tynis the thocht of his charge & ded(b) c1420 Wynt. v. 265.
In deyd he doure wes douchty Ib. vi. 2012.
He … in hys deyd wes rycht wyly 1423 Reg. Great S. II. 45/1.
Wyt ȝe us to haf giffin … til our lufit Patrik Lyndesay twenti schilling yheirly for hys guid deid and service till us 1461 Liber Plusc. 395.
Thair rewm sal neuir haif honour of thare deid c1475 Wall. i. 2.
Our antecessowris, that we suld of reide, And hald in mynde thar nobille worthi deid Ib. 142.
I may nocht now putt all thair deid in ryme c1500-c1512 Dunb. xi. 35.
Nocht eftir death thow sall posses Nor with the tak bot thy guid deid 15.. Clar. i. 1326.
He laikis no thing langing to knichtheid Saif he is only crwell of his deid 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 194.
[They] on force be way of deid tuke the said Dauidis haill warklomis 1572 Sat. P. xxix. 30.
Ȝour deid is not lyk ȝour say c1590 Fowler II. 21/15.
That quhilk maliciously be writ and deade in effect he hes performit

b. In contrast or combination with word, thocht, etc. a1400 Leg. S. i. 251.
Pece be till ȝow … That luffis pes in worde and dede 1415 Lennox Mun. 61.
I sal be lele and trew til my said lord in vorde, cunseil and deid c1420 Wynt. v. 1364.
Thare wes na man that wald contrare This byschape in-till word or deyde Ib. vi. 681.
Thoucht and deid he mad bath ewyn 1456 Hay II. 146/16.
Quhat prince or king that has nocht this soverane vertu in ded and in hert a1500 Bk. Chess 1539.
That word and mynd and deid accordand be 1531 Reg. Soltre 104.
The said Ihone … salbe ane trewe seruand … in wourd, thocht, and deid 1558 Melrose R. Rec. III. 164.
Nor had [he] ony airt or pairt … thairof be word or deid, sing or takin 1623 St. A. Baxter Bks. 86.
If … the saidis … molest or iniure vtheris, ather be word or deid 1663 Forbes Baron Ct. 236.
In no vayes to be troubled … eyther in work, word or deid, or scolding, flytting and railling

3. In (also intill, into, of, on, or upon) dede, in act or fact, actually, indeed. 1385 Red Bk. Menteith II. 262.
At al this before wrytyn wes thus done in dede c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2090.
Now was that Egra in deid Douchter to king Polemyte c1420 Wynt. i. Prol. 72.
The payne is soft he tholys in dede Ib. v. 1948.
As in-to deyd thar efftyre fell Ib. viii. 841.
Gyff yhe wyll noucht in till dede In that matere now procede a1500 Henr. Fab. 1737.
Ȝone lint will grow in lytill tyme in deid [B. of dede] c1475 Wall. ix. 998.
Sewart went fra thaim with ix scor in to deid a1500 Seven S. 5.
He had no barne bot ane in deid That to ȝe empyre micht succeid a1540 Freiris Berw. i.
As it befell and hapnit into [M. vpon] deid 1562-3 Winȝet I. 59/30.
Albeit as ȝit in dede … we heir nocht thairof

4. A legal instrument. 1625 Acts V. 168/2.
His inventair … whiche the ingiver sall declair to be a true dead 1654 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 141.
Such yeerly rents, boones, and annuall services as are mentionat or due by any deads, patents, charters [etc.]