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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.

Dragoun, Dragon(e, n.¹ Also: dragoune, -own(e. [ME. dragon(e, -oun, dragun (c 1220), OF. dragon, dragun.]

1. A dragon.(a) a1400 Leg. S. iv. 344.
A fel dragon com tham till Blawand fei fyre one tham Ib. x. 152.
Ane sad, the wechis war cumand With twa dragonyse 1490 Lanark B. Rec. 7.
For beryn of the dragon and mendyn of it, viij d. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 169/21.
Merwalus bestis and dragonis, … cocatrice & basiliskis c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxvii. 29.
That … brak the hellis dungeoun most terrible, And chest the dragonis hidous and horribile 15.. Clar. i. 47.
As dreidfull dragonis thay togidder drave(b) c1420 Wynt. i. 577.
Gryphys gret nerhande thaim ar, And dragownys Ib. v. 170.
Twa gret dragownys and wgly Ruschyd owte 1456 Hay I. 48/20.
A ryver … quhare thare was a dragoun grete and felloun c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 342.
I to flyt was als fers as ane fell dragoun 1531 Bell. Boece II. 63.
Ane crownit dragoun wes sene birnand in the lift 1540 Treas. Acc. VII. 320.
Ane quhissill of gold of mynde … with ane dragoun annamulit a1578 Pitsc. I. 365/28.
To cause thingis to appeir quhilk was as flieand dragouns in the airattrib. c1500 Rowll Cursing 192 (B).
Thai hafe lang tailis … Dragoun heidis and warwolf nalis

b. To rais dragoun, to commit havoc. 1375 Barb. ii. 205.
He … bad him men off armys ta, & in all hy till Scotland ga, And byrn, and slay, and rais dragoun

2. Applied to persons, the devil, death, etc. c1475 Wall. xi. 287.
Lordis, behald, inwy the wyle dragoun, In cruell fyr he byrnys this regioun a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 249.
Dathan deuillis sone and dragon dispitous c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 263.
Be dragonis baitht and dowis, ay in double forme Id. viii. 17.
O duilfull death! O dragon dolorous! 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 15.
Dungin is the deidly dragon Lucifer, Ib. xxxviii. 9. O dreidfull dragoun, with thy dulefull dart 1588 King Cat. 36.
Quhen we … behalde the dragon with his mouthe oppin reddy to deuoire ws