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

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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.

Double, Dowble, adj. Also: doubil(l, -ile, -el, doubbill; dowbil(l, -yll, -ile, dowbell; doybill, dobell, -yll. [ME. double, dowble (14th c.), OF. double. See also Duble a.]

1. Twofold; combined as two of the same kind.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi. 1124.
Herod … tholit than the double deide Of lif & saule c1420 Wynt. iv. 822.
Thai nane to dede gave doubill dynt Ib. v. 3598.
[It had] Neyssys twa, wyth doubill chyn 1456 Hay I. 153/26.
Thareto I ansuere in double wis 1469 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 419.
Deliuerande agan to me … the saidis letteris of procuratury in dovbill forme 1490 Irland Mir. 93/12.
In this persone … is funde this hie meryt infinit … , and that the doubile way c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 263.
Be dragonis baitht and dowis, ay in double forme 1549 Compl. 28/21.
Ane ox that repungnis the brod of his hird, he gettis doubil broddis 1562-3 Winȝet II. 18/15.
On double manere suld he … strenthe his fayth 1576 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 19 b.
Quha evere of payd seruandis … that feis thame selfs with doubill maisters … sall sit x dayis in the lang gaid(b) 1375 Barb. iv. 236.
Thai mak ay thair ansuering In-till dowbill vndirstanding c1420 Wynt. v. Prol. 41.
Off this dowbyll governale The grettast is the spyrytuale Ib. v. 3603.
Dowbyll wyt … In to that barne apperand wes c1450-2 Howlat 588.
Of a kynde colour thre coddis I kend, With dowble tressur about a1500 Henr. III. 142/53.
Within ane hude he hes ane dowbill face 1513 Doug. iii. iii. 62.
Onone he knew … of our clan the dowbill stok Ib. viii. ii. 30.
Twa galeis … With dowbill raw of ayris on athir syde c1552 Lynd. Mon. 754.
With dowbyll deith than sall thow de a1568 Scott xxxiv. 103.
It is ane dowbill vyce To bring the Devill on loft 1567 Sat. P. ii. 3.
Dowbell addulltre hes all this land schamit 1622-6 Bisset II. 251/5.
Sic personis as makis dowbill conditioun, and hyris theme selfis to twa sindrie maisteris

b.Composed of, making up, two of a kind. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 239.
Ane wane … beside ane riveir, With doubill dykis … drawin our all 1513 Doug. i. xi. 102.
The dowbill vrsys weil couth he decern 1529 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 395.
Ane substantious brig … with pillaris pendis doubill brasis battaling and cawseis a1540 Freiris Berw. 10.
It is wallit weill abowt with stane, And dowbill stankis castin mony ane a1585 Maitl. Q. lxviii. 21.
Of Pernassus the doubill toppis Ar nane but hes harde tell

c. Composed of two parts, pieces, strands, etc. c1460 Wisd. Sol. 563.
Wer is to brek a dowble raipe na a single 1502 Treas. Acc. II. 33.
For ane double countour bocht to the king 1517 Ib. V. 120.
For … ij double casis for the kingis chalmir 1532 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. 5 (Elphinston v. Innes).
Ane dowble burdin dur with bandis and crukis of irne c1540 Lynd. Kitteis Conf. 87.
Hois, and schone, with dowbill soillis 1563 Montgomery Mem. 197.
Ane dowbill dour at the entres of the said stair 1567 Fleming Q. Mary 505.
Of schiuine gold iiij doubil hankis 1616 Conv. Burghs III. 28.
The haill hesp to be fyue quarter long of doubell yairne 1669 Thanes of Cawdor 324.
[One] dozen dowble pypes

2. Twofold in amount. a. Of payments, etc. 1456 Hay I. 138/33.
I aw nocht to ask double payment 1480 Acta Conc. 63/1.
Takin of double malis of the said tennandis 1506 Peebles B. Rec. 200.
Thai sal pay dowble molter to the millaris 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 264/2.
With power to tak up … the dowbill and singler avale of the said mariage 1544 Soc. Ant. II. 396.
Under the payne of ane unlaw the first falt and ane double unlaw the next falt c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5708.
Ȝe lordis … That ȝour pure tennantis dois oppres, Be gret gyrsome, and dowbyll maill a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. xv. 67.
Regratouris that takkis doubill pay 1622-6 Bisset II. 236/30.
The victularis suld find … ressonabill coistis … , quhilk they sall tak up agane upoun dowbill prices

b. In other contexts. 1375 Barb. i. 5.
Than suld storys that suthfast wer … Hawe doubill plesance in heryng a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 490.
Syn is the caus … of dowble deordinacioun Ib. 853.
With dowble dreid bere in memoriall That ferefull dome 1567 G. Ball. 139.
This is my sang, With doubill myrth and ioy amang 1562-3 Winȝet II. 27/18.
Quhais wickitnes I think worthy double hatrent

3. Of twice the usual thickness or size. (In various applications.)(1) 1490 Treas. Acc. I. 189.
For xxxij elne of blew and browne dowbill varyand tartar 1496 Ib. 292.
For ij elne of dowbil rede taffaty a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun 39.
Blak doubill wourset 1589 Treas. Acc. MS. 157.
Blak veluet dowble pyle(2) 1490 Acta Conc. 157/2.
That Lucas Brois sall restore … a double bannate 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 90.
In dowbill garmont cled and wily coyt 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 174.
Ane payr of dowbill woll blankatis 1528 Lynd. Dreme 72.
I dressit me … With dowbyll schone, and myttanis on my handis c1552 Id. Mon. 4675.
With dowbyll clethyng frome the cald 1573 Sat. P. xxxix. 349.
In frost and snaw, quhen all the folkis ar fane With double bonattis for to hap thair brane 1585 Edinb. Test. XIV. 184.
Tuentie pair of doubill gluvis 1599 Treas. Acc. MS. 34 b.
Cambrige to be thrie dowble mutchis to weir vnder the vther mutchis(3) 1494 Treas. Acc. I. 253.
For v^c double buspikaris 1496 Ib. 293.
For ij dowbill platis of quhit irne to be gun chargeowris 1512 Ib. IV. 451.
For xxvi^c dowbill naill 1532 M. Works Acc. II. 34.
xvij pece of grete double aslar 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 295.
For dowbill garroun naillis 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 261.
For twa gryt dowble geistis to be the cluses to the mylnis 1587 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 284.
Thre dowbill rwif sparris to be chekis to the ledderis 1633 M. Works Acc. XXV. 25 b.
Sax dowble tries to the kingis boulhous 1680 Irvine Mun. II. 287.
For the sarking of the mill five hunder dobell plenshor [nails] 1696 Foulis Acc. Bk. 195.
For a double tree of 12 ell(4) 1544 Treas. Acc. VIII. 304.
For carrege of v doubill barsis to Leith 1547 Ib. IX. 78.
To resave twa doubill falconis and to convey thame to Edinburght 1571 Ib. MS. 148.
Making of certane callaberdis to pas … dowbill and lsingill falcone bullettis a1578 Pitsc. I. 251/28.
Quarter fallcouns, slingis, … and doubill doggis 1585 Rep. Elphinstone Mun. 23.
Tua dowbill falcouns lyand vpoun the eird(5) 1579–1622 (see Catechis, Catechisme).

4. Of twice the usual value, importance, or quality. Also occas. double double.(1) 1496 Halyb. 103.
Item lent hys wyff … 6 Andris guldynnis and 6 dobyll ferrisyis 1567 Edinb. Test. I. 25 b.
Fyfteine dowbill ducattis, price of the pece thre pundis ten s.; … tua double double ducattis, price thairof fourtene pundis 1578 Ib. VI. 361 b.
Ane doubill doubill ducat price thairof nyne pund; … twa singill doubill ducattis price of the pece iiij l. x s. 1611 Balfour Ann. II. 37.
The … pice of golde, called the double croun, to passe at … shil. starling 1638 Baillie I. 46.
Upon the delyverie of these foure wreits, my Lord took instruments by a double peece in a notar's hand c1650 Spalding II. 390.
He gives him out of his povche ane double angell(2) 1520 Peebles B. Rec. 51.
All solempnit festis, dowble festis, Sondais and halydayis(3) 1535 Stewart 38040.
Tha suld drink … Marche aill and also doubill beir 1617 Acts IV. 538/1.
Single and double aill to be brued in everie schyir

5. Deceitful, false. c1475 Wall. vi. 57.
Fortoune him schawit hyr fygowrt doubill face Ib. 100.
This fals warld with mony doubill cast 1513 Doug. ix. Prol. 14.
Be nevir sle or doubill, nor ȝit our lyght 1522 Douglas Corr. 85.
I knaw … the fynes of the mann, and nayne mayre dowbyll in oure realme 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1228.
O dowbill deuill maist dangerus, God saue me fra thé a1568 Scott xi. 11.
Gif ȝe be constant, trest, and trew, … Bot be ȝe fund dowbill, adew! 1571 Sat. P. xxvi. 162.
Thir letters … Quhilk dois declair his dowbill deids inding a1585 Maitl. Q. xlviii. 149.
My dowbill deling be disdaine Acquyt, & pay me hame againe 1572 Ib. lxii. 5.
To heir thair realme blasonit … And men thairof as doubill tratouris demit

6. Comb. with beld, breistit, fald, forcastellit, foreslevit, gemmellit, handit, horsit, malit, nekkit, tungit, tuthit, ȝokkit. 1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 45.
Nyne doubill beld saltfattis 1532 Treas. Acc. VI. 26.
Ane doublet to the king, double breistit and double foreslevit ?1438 Alex. ii. 7006.
Now doubill-fald it suld be quyte 1482 Edinb. Chart. 169.
The anchorage of ilk grete schip singill or doubill forcastellit 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 190.
Twa pare lange bandis, doubill gemmellit for the durris of the saidis deskis 1562 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 647/2.
Sex stoppis of tin dowbill handit 16.. Hist. Kennedy 25.
He had ewer in his houshald xxiiij galland gentilmenne, doubill horssitt 1513 Doug. ix. xi. 92.
The dowbill malyt traste hawbrik 1511 Treas. Acc. IV. 198.
Tua double nekkit bonettis and tua single nekkit bonettis a1500 Colk. Sow 74.
A dowble toungit counsalour 1513 Doug. i. x. 10.
Tyrrhanys dowbill tongit weill sche knew 1533 Gau 17/22.
Thay that ar doubel tungit, the quhilk sais ane thing now and sine ane oder thing c1420 Wynt. v. 3597.
Twa mowthys dowbill-tuthyd wyth-in 1513 Doug. v. iii. 80.
The dowbill ȝokkyt cartis … of wer