Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Fle, n.¹ Also: flee, flea, flie. [ME. fley(e, fleȝe, early fleoȝe, ONhb. fléᵹe, OE. fléoᵹe.] A fly. a1500 Bk. Chess 172.
The lyon … Sum tyme is fude to megis & to fleis a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 54.
As attircop fechtis to fang a fle 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 57.
The litill mygeis, and the vrusum fleys 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1008.
Watand, lyke houngre fleis 1562-3 Winȝet II. 31/25.
Filthy verming and fleis 1602 Colville Parænese Ep. 22.
In proportion as a flee is to ane elephant a1651 Calderwood VI. 48.
To make an herbe [into] flesh, that would dissolve in flees 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. i. 91.
Some faults … not so big As rotten fleesattrib. a1500 Henr. III. 151/44.
Fyve vnce of ane fle wing

b. Used to denote something of no value. c1420 Wynt. iv. 771 (W.).
I … set nocht by my lif a fle a1500 Henr. Fab. 2277.
But lawté All other vertewis ar nocht worth ane fle 1535 Stewart 58313.
Nocht worth ane fle he tuke into his gait c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 173.
Quhais flyting I feir nocht ane fle a1605 Montg. Son. xix. 4.
Their feckles flyting is not worth a flie [: be, me]

c. Fleis of Spenȝie, see Spanȝe n.