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, v.² Also: flee, fley, flie. P.t. and p.p. fled, flede, fleid, flead, flaid. [ME. fle(e, fleen, ONhb. fléa, OE. fléon.]

1. intr. To run away from danger or in fear; to flee. Freq. in pres. pple. fleand.(a) 1375 Barb. vi. 115.
He chesit him … outhir to fle or de Ib. 415.
Thai sped them fleand a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 247.
Schir, fleys in hy, & peryse nocht Ib. xl. 913.
He saw thame fle but areste 1397 Acts I. 208/1.
Gif ony of tha misdoeris fleys out of a schirefdom in ane other c1420 Wynt. ii. 1172.
Thame behuvyde fle on nede Ib. viii. 4524.
Thai, that saw thame fleand swa, Tuk hale the flycht 1456 Hay I. 196/34.
Sen he pursewit him … quhen he was fleand a1500 Bk. Chess 980.
It causis thaim to turne thair bak & fle Quhen thai suld fecht c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 219.
Than fleis thow, lyk ane howlat chest with crawis 1513 Doug. ii. xi. 88.
My fader … Cryis on me fast, fle son, fle son in hy! Ib. x. xi. 110.
Quhidder fleys thow now, Ene? c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2487.
Thocht thay have feit, ane fute they can not fle 1570 Sat. P. xii. 151.
Thinkand to fecht or fle(b) 1456 Hay I. 87/6.
He suld erar ches to tak the aventure of dede … na to flee Brus xii. 377.
Gif the Scottis flee avay c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3450.
None of thame had fors to flee(c) c1420 Wynt. viii. 2571.
Lyppnys nocht, gyve that yhe fley, A better hape till have than dey 1533 Boece vii. x. 242 b.
Inhabitantis … fleying to vthir provincis be terroure of inemyis(d) 1535 Stewart 2371.
All his men that tyme than tuke to flie a1585 Maitl. Q. lxxiii. 40.
O Lord … to thé I flie, to thé I rin and pray 1622-6 Bisset II. 160/32.
David … wes moved to flie in France for his saifgaird(b) 1375 Barb. vi. 434.
The laif fled full affrayitly c1420 Wynt. v. 5587.
Till a wode nere by he fled 1456 Hay I. 54/13.
Hanyball was discomfyt, and fled away c1475 Wall. ix. 1077.
Of comowns part into the forest fled 1513 Doug. ii. x. 11.
Al war thai fled full wery c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1366.
Quhen they had done, they fled away 1570 Sat. P. xxxvi. 35.
Quhen ane nobill man wes thairto fled 1596 Dalr. I. 279/19.
Monan … fled vnto the Maii, to chaip the daneger of the Danes(b) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 499.
He … fleid away withit rycht faste c1420 Wynt. viii. 2170.
All the lawe … turnyd the bak, and away flede [: stede] 1492 Myll Spect. 275/1.
Ane demandit him quhy he fleid fra the cumpanye of wemen a1500 Doug. K. Hart 737.
My freyndis now ar flede Ib. 784. 1549 Compl. 161/13.
This said serpent … fleid tyl her cauerne 1603 Philotus cl.
Fra ȝow dissaitfullie scho flaid [: maid] c1615 Chron. Kings 100.
The Erlle of Huntlyis men thinking all was flead, followit the chease without any ordour

b. To run away from bondage or justice. 14.. Acts I. 59/2.
Of kynd borne bondman fleand and agane haldyn Ib. 380/2.
Reffaris and wikyt misdoaris, … fugitifis and fleande out of public balȝeris

c. fig. To withdraw, keep away, from folly, etc. 1456 Hay II. 85/15.
Flee fra all folyis and ignoraunce 1558-66 Knox II. 444.
The Appossillis … commandit all to fley frome idolatrie a1570-86 Maitl. F. xx. 7.
Fra all sort of seditioun flie

2. tr. To run away from (a person, place, or thing). a1400 Leg. S. xxi. 501.
I ȝowre fadyre, & ȝe fle me Ib. xxxvi. 276.
Manis conuersacioune He fled 1456 Hay I. 51/32.
Cipio … dang agayn thame that wald have fled the toune c1515 Asl. MS. I. 177/31.
Thai … that … fleis the scharpe assaltis & danger of thar enemys c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxii. 20.
Scho fled him nocht; fair mothir fall! 1513 Doug. vi. i. 132.
Now, at the last, that fleit [Sm. fled] vs euermore, The forthir coist of Italie haue we caucht 15.. Clar. iii. 1456.
Thay fled him ay and war for him adred 1605 Dundonald Par. Rec. 79.
Scho fled the bed quhen John Dickie cam to it c1650 Spalding I. 192.
The covenanteris, who had fled the toune befoir, returnis provdlie bak agane

b. To avoid falling into, to refrain from (a vice, etc.). a1400 Leg. S. Prol. 4.
Quha-sa wil be vertuise suld idilnes fle 1456 Hay II. 109/2.
Flee as poysone thaire venymous condicioun mortale a1500 Seven S. 2562.
Do the richt and falset fle 1533 Gau 16/15.
Thay that fleis noth … inordinat eiting and drinkkine c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4494.
Christ … fled temporall auctoritie c1590 J. Stewart 218/19.
Rycht soir lament I ȝour enormall fack, Quhilk fleis all vertew

c. To avoid suffering from, to escape. c1420 Wynt. v. 822.
In the flux hym hapnyd to de, For thare is nane that cas may fle c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 35.
His awfull strak may no man fle 1567 G. Ball. 176.
To curs and ban the sempill pure man, That had nocht to fle the paine 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. xviii.
The eagill … Doun louching, and coutching, To fle the flichts of fudder