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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.

Flour, Flowr, n. Also: floure, flowre, flowir; flur, fluir, floore. [ME. flour(e, flowr(e, early flure, flur (a 1225), OF. flour, flur, L. flōr-, flōs.]

1. A flower.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xix. 266.
Berand fluris thu sal it fynd Ib. xl. 536.
His stafe … bare flouris & froite ?1438 Alex. ii. Prol. 4.
Quhen … flouris spredis on seirkin hewes 1456 Hay I. 20/18.
Quhen the hony beis cummys on the flour of it a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 419.
Lyke a rysand floure in a gardyn c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 59.
Als fresch as flouris that in May vp spredis 1533 Boece viii. xiv. 283 b.
Stretis war strowit with flouris & odoramentis 1611 Crim. Trials III. i. 157.
To suck poyson out of the sweitest and most hollsome floures 1661 Mun. Univ. Glasg. II. 329.
All the floures that he planted(b) a1500 Bk. Chess. 2008.
The sicht of flowris in the meid 1513 Doug. vi. x. 108.
Thar bene our settis, and beddis of fresch flowris a1570-86 Maitl. F. cxxx. 96.
I do bot litill wrang Bot gif I flowris fangattrib. 1631 Edinb. Test. LV. 42 b.
Sex flour pottis of tin 1672 Hist. Abbey Kinlos p. xvi.
A flour yeard, alies, bordis, arbors [etc.]

b. In figurative contexts. c1420 Wynt. vii. 2119.
Thare fell a fayre floure off his crowne Ib. ix. 1793.
His flowris eftyr sone Fadyt, and were all undone a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 237.
How … falȝeis the frute of all thi flouris a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 542.
Thir fendis ar the flour of thy four branchis a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxi. 21.
O flowand ȝouthe, fruteles and feding flour c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 117.
Mercurius … Of rethorik that fand the flouris fayr

2. a. The finest portion of a number of persons; the best men of a country. 1375 Barb. xvi. 232.
I se heir feill fellit to fete, The flour of all north Irland c1420 Wynt. viii. 1827.
Thare slayne wes down the floure of Fyffe 1492 Myll Spect. 294/6.
Quhare … all the floure of the knychtis of Bartane ware distroyet and slane 1513 Doug. x. vi. 16.
O ȝe walyt flour of weir, … Haist owr the flude 1533 Boece ii. v. 67.
Ȝone vnmercifull tyran … has distroyit the floure of all oure nacioun

b. The best or finest specimen or representative of specified persons or things. 1456 Hay I. 49/18.
It was the flour of the citeis of Spayne a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 78.
O, fair Creisseid! the flour and A per se Of Troy and Greece a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1135.
The flour of knighthede is caught throu his cruelte a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 565.
Quhar is Absolon, of all fairenes the floure? 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 32.
Men says thou … crelyt vp the flour of poetry 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 6.
Thou … hes reft furth of this land The flour of France a1585 Maitl. Q. lxiv. 3.
The erthlie E per sie and flour of feminine maist fair

c. The finest or fullest development, the perfection, of some quality. c1420 Wynt. iii. 991.
Floure in Grece wes off clergy 1461 Liber Plusc. 135.
Sen vertew is … flour of mercy and iustice a1500 Henr. Bludy S. 10.
Off all fairheid scho bur the flour

3. The most flourishing state or time of age, etc. Freq. in the phr. in (one's) flouris.(1) 1375 Barb. xvii. 933.
In the flour of his ȝoutheid Scho endit all his douchty deid ?1438 Alex. i. 3263.
Gif that thow deis,.The flour is done of all my micht a1500 Bernardus 165.
Thocht elde be cummyne and passit al hir flowris 1531 Bell. Boece I. viii.
In the floure of youth mellifluus 1562-3 Winȝet II. 58/8.
Thair is a grete difference betuix the floure of barneage and the … rypnes of the eild 1596 Dalr. II. 52/15.
A woman, … now in the flour of hir age(2) c1420 Wynt. v. 4490.
Boece, … That than wes lywand in hys flowrys a1500 Doug. K. Hart 705.
Strenth said ‘Now I am grene and in my flouris’ 1535 Stewart 17579.
O bernis bald, ȝoung, fragrant in ȝour flouris 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4125.
Sa am not I, Bot in my flouris, of ȝouthheid blumand grene 1596 Dalr. II. 81/25.
The hail tyme of his rygne the Christne religioun … was in the flouris

4. The menstrual discharge. 1549 Compl. 67/6.
I sau mony grene seggis, that ar gude to prouoke the flouris of vemen

5. A representation of a flower. ?1438 Alex. i. 992.
His scheld was gold … And in the cantel was set ane flour 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 282.
For rede worsat to bordour the flouris of the pailȝoune 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. i. 415.
Satine figuris champit with flouris and bewis 1541 Treas. Acc. VII. 424.
Quhyte dammes of the great flour

b. A flower-shaped part of a metal candlestick or candelabrum. 1545–6 Treas. Acc. VIII. 433.
For thre hingeing chandelaris, with thair flouris, cordis, and other necessaris 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 354.
For making of ane prike of irne, with thre flouris to beir the candillis 1593 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 500.
For tynnyng of the flouris that haldis the prikettis in the kirk 1631 Edinb. Test. LV. 157 b.
Ane hinging-chandler with twa floures for ane brais 1665 Ib. LXXI. 392 b.
Ane little hearse with sex flours 1690 Lanark B. Rec. 237.
Ane hanging flower for a candleattrib. 1632 Edinb. Test. LV. 177 b.
Twa flour chandleris

6. Wheaten flour. 1375 Barb. v. 398.
Quhet, flour, meill & malt Ib. viii. 232.
Hawbrekis, that war quhit as flour ?1438 Alex. i. 1214.
His armis quhitar war than flour 1482 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 41.
Baxteris … that byis ony floure fra ony pairtis beyound the sey a1540 Freiris Berw. 216 (M).
Ane kneddin troche … Wald hald ane boll of flour c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2225.
Twelf gret louis of bowtit floure 1584 St. A. Baxter Bks. 37.
That na seruice man sall baik ony menschoittis except onlie the fluir be bocht fra ane freman 1597 St. A. Kirk S. 835.
Ane leid of flowir 1617 M. Works Acc. XV. 53 b.
For paper and floore [to the painters] 1652 Peebles B. Rec. II. i.
Taking ane capfull floore for ilk boll [of wheat]

b. Attrib. with baik, scon; boyt, can, kitt. 1513 Doug. vii. ii. 15.
The flowr sconnys war set in … With other mesis 1522–3 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 215.
The flour baiks and fadges that cumes fra landwart into this toune to sell 1598 Black Bk. Taymouth 333.
Flour boytis 1606 Edinb. Test. XLI. 303.
Four flour canis 1692 Inchmahome Pr. 163.
Tuo flour kitts