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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.

Gre, n.¹ Also: gree, grie. [ME. gree, gre (1303), OF. gré Cf. Grece n.¹]

1. A step in ascent or descent; a stage in elevation, a shelf, tier, etc. a1400 Leg. S. vii. 123.
Ane of thame went vpe stepand, … & keste hym fra the heast gre c1420 Wynt. v. 2999.
A hwndyr greys ewyn dippand down Wndyr the erd 1495 Old Dundee II. 14.
In the queir of the Kirk under the farrest gree before the Hye Altar 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. ii. 379.
The beriall stremis rinnand ouir stanerie greis Id. K. Hart 77.
About the wall thair ran ane water void … That on the wallis wiskit gre by gre 1535 Stewart 31156.
This gude Hungus richt laulie on his kneis Befoir the altar passit vp the grees 1542 Soc. Ant. III. 163.
The haill queir to be weill pathit with greis befoir the said alter 1565 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 24 b.
In the gryt hall … ane cope burd vith thre greis 1591 St. A. Kirk S. 697.
The hichest grie of the penitent stuill 1591 Elgin Rec. II. 16.
The heichest gree of the south eastmest desk narrest the queir dur 1614 Ib. 139.
It is apoyntit and ordenit the first grie of the east loft be left woid and redd to the wisitowris a1688 J. Wallace Descr. Orkney 44.
Bishop Stewart enlarged it [the Cathedral Church] to the east, all above the grees

b. In fig. contexts. 1490 Irland Mir. 295 b.
I find in the cristianite ane leddire of thre noble greis and stagis 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 596.
He … , quhen he stude vpon the heychest gre, … Was suddanlie deposit frome his place 1609 Gardyne Garden 39.
I striue not to mount vp a stap To be two grees againe down-throwne

2. A step or stage in a rising scale. a1400 Leg. S. vi. 386.
Sancte Thomas vas rycht fovs Till tel the twelfe greis of vertuse Ib. 422.
That in lele pennance we suld dwel, As fore the sewine gre ve ma tell a1500 Henr. Fab. 797.
It followis weill be resoun naturall, And gre be gre of richt comparisoun, Of euill cummis war 1549 Compl. 134/28.
Iniquiteis and vicis succedis gre be gre fra princis vitht augmentation of the samyn 1562-3 Winȝet II. 57/31.
Knawledge, science, and wisdome … mot grow and increes, … in al greis of aigis and tymes 1558-66 Knox VI. 171.
The Prophet in discription of there vanities, maketh these gries 1590-1 Bruce Serm. 32.
The first gree of preparation stands in contrition

3. A ‘step’ in the line of descent; a degree of relationship. c1420 Wynt. iii. 1066.
Fergus Ercson fra hym syne Down discendand ewyn be lyne In to the fyve and fyfty gre Ib. vi. 1883; etc.
Lytyll in honoure than had he The greys of affynyte c1475 Wall. i. 49.
Balȝoune clamyt of first gre lynialy 1479 Acta Conc. 42/1.
Nocht beand lauchfully descendit of the blude that the landis movit of … as was clerely vnderstandin be the rekning of the greis 1513 Doug. vi. xi. 8.
Behald … the nowmyr of hys geneologye, Thare fatis, and thare fortonys euery gre 1535 Stewart 23481.
He him self wes narrest to thair croun, Fra Dioneth the fourt grie cuming doun 1559 Fam. Rose 229.
[A dispensation] upon all greis of consangui[ni]te or affinite 1570 Leslie 8.
Of quhom ye are be line and grees lauchfully descenditfig. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 68/10.
Our nobilis … to quhome … we ar in mony greis of luue naturalie coniunit

b. In the phr. in, within gre, greis (defendand, -ant). 1498 Acta Conc. II. 264.
[The inquest contained persons related] within gre [to the said John] 1533 Gau 16/6.
Thay that lys wit thair kine and bluid in greis quhilk ar aganis the command of God 1539 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. x.
Janet Scot … and James Douglas … ar neir of kin and consanguinite within greis 1543 Reg. Morton II. 287.
Thomas M^cCalȝeane allegit that John Tenent was within gre defendand of affinite be resoun of his wif in the ferd degre to the Erle of Mortoun 1617 Crim. Trials III. 424.
He was within greis defendant with the Hous of Bass

c. In the phr. gre be gre. ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 50.
Thou wrytis … That our successouris aucht to be servandis till ȝouris gre be gre 1535 Stewart 45905.
Fra Gathelus all his genelogie Onto him self he countit gre be gre 1554 Misc. Bann. C. III. 69.
Thai Eirlis of Orchadie iustlie, … linialie, and gre be gre, … hed succedit to the forsaid eirldome 1571 Sat. P. xxvii. 100.
Scoitland … hes bene alwayis bruikit be ane bluid, and kin of Kingis discendit grie be gre

4. Degree or relative position in rank or standing; in thair gre, in order of rank. a1400 Leg. S. vii. 38.
Of Jerusalem he Wes mad byschope of heyest gre c1420 Wynt. vii. 463.
The mast worthy And lordys off the grettast gre That kend ware in that cuntré Ib. ii. 203.
Bot gyff he saulde hym halely All hys awantage and hys gre, That for as eldest hys sulde be Ib. ix. 1941.
All his liegis of alkyn greis, Conditiounys, statis, and qualiteis, Lerit, and lawit a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 999.
Bere this in mynd and degraide nocht thi gre 1511 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 134.
First to serue the Kings Hienes … and … , by ordour, the provest, baillies, counsale and communitie, … and thairafter the strayngeris … , ilk ane in thair awin grie 1533 Boece iii. xxi. 122 b.
Ane nobill prince deiectit fra the hiest gre of dignite 1565 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 36 b.
All and sindre our legis … of quhatsumevyr state, gre, condition or autoritietransf. c1450-2 Howlat 407.
Ilk branche had the birth burly and beld, Four flurist our all, gretest of gre

b. An academical degree; often in pl. c1420 Wynt. viii. 262.
All thir clerkis in thare greis And studyws in thare faculteis 1456 Hay II. 35/18.
For dout [that] thai [sc. scholars] war repellit, or ellis defoulit thair greis c1500 Fyve Bestis 180.
Weile couth he cast the bukis of decres Bot tharin no thing had he of his greis a1500 Prestis of Peblis 356 (A).
Ane cunnand clerk The quhilk certane had nocht in scule tane gre a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 397.
I sall degraid thé, graceles, of thy greis 1535 Stewart 60470.
No preist sould be to prelacie promovit, … Without he war ane doctour in his grie Into canone or in theologie 1533 Boece xiv. vi. 553.
Doctouris of theologie … quhilk … war nocht notabill be greis nor stilis that thai war na les cunnyng

5. Pre-eminence, foremost place or victory in a contest. Freq. in phr. to bere, or win, the gre. c1420 Wynt. iii. 972 (C).
Thai that mycht the gre thar wyn Off turnamentis or of justynge, Menstrailsy or gret werslynge Ib. v. 3402 (R).
At wychys and at spaymen fast He thraly speryt gyve that he Mycht ewyre opteyne and wyn that gre c1450-2 Howlat 448.
As worthy … in worschipe allowit, To Jame lord Dowglas thow the gre gaif To ga with the kingis hart a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 698.
Wes nane sa sutell couth se Quhilk gome suld gouern the gre c1500-c1512 Dunb. l. 20.
At feistis and brydallis wp aland, He wan the gre 1513 Doug. v. vi. 43.
The thre formaste sal beir the pryce and gre Ib. 92.
The thryd place now and gre Dyor has nummyn Ib. 113.
Hys lak to save, Quhilk in his awyn defalt tynt not the gre a1585 Maitl. Q. xlviii. 20.
The Muses wald have gevin the grie To hir, as … peirles perle preclair 1606 Rollock Comm. 1 Thess. 69 (J).
Fy on this idle nation, and thow Scotland bears the gree of idleness and loytering 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 22.
Of aw the pipers I did see, This piper Tony wan the 'gree

6. Degree or degrees in amount, intensity, quality, etc. c1420 Wynt. ii. 995.
Hys relygyoune [was] cruelere Than … tyrandry in ony gre Ib. v. 5554.
Lord God, that schawys thé Luwand mankynd in all kyn gre 1456 Hay II. 32/14.
Thareis thre gree[s] of chastitee, the quhilkis all honourable personis ar behaldin till 1461 Liber Plusc. I. 385.
Enforst with fortoun in the heast gre 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 177.
God has gevin mony greis of perfeccioun to creaturis 1513 Doug. vi. Prol. 97.
As he twichis greys seyr in payn, In blys, elike wys, syndry stagis puttis he Ib. xii. Prol. 109.
Sum [flowers] hevynly culloryt in celestiall gre 1533 Boece iv. viii. 137.
He grewe … in hieare gre of covatise than efferit ane mortall man c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6048.
And als, that lantern of the hevin Sall geve mair licht, be greis sevin, Nor it gave sen the warld began

7. a. A degree in measurement (in astronomy or geometry). 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 32.
Frawart Saturn … Went progressyve the greis of his ascens 1531 Bell. Boece I. xlvii.
The elevatioun of the pole abone the Ile of Man is lvii greis Id. Livy I. 47/19.
Ilk xxiiij ȝeris anys, that the sone come to the samyn dayis, houris, mynutis, greis, and signis [etc.] 1535 Stewart 3021.
Of signifer the greit obliquitie Fra Aries to Cancer gre be grie 1560 Rolland Seven S. 451.
The ruif tre … was quyte declynit doun, And sine againe … It was vpliftit ane hundreth thousand greis

b. A degree of comparison of adjectives. 1549 Compl. 160/3.
For that cause the gramariaris can fynd na greis of comparaison in ȝour gudnes, for that terme, bettir, is of the comparatyue gree, and that terme gude, is of the positiue gree