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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.

Grene, Grein, a. Also: gren, greyne, greine, griene, gryne, greene. [ME. greene, grene (gren, greyn, etc.), OE. gréne.] Green, in lit. and fig. senses.

1. Of plants, trees, foliage, or grass.(a) a1400 Leg. S. i. 563.
He … crounit hym-self with lauream gren [: bene] Ib. xl. 396.
In the ȝarde is nane erbe grene c1420 Wynt. iv. Prol. 5.
A garland … Grene suld lestand be lang quhile Ib. vii. 546.
A grene tre fra the rwte wes sawyn 1456 Hay I. 30/21.
Thai suld nocht noy to the treis, na herbis, na grene thing c1450-2 Howlat 399.
Ane grene tre … That bure branchis on breid a1500 Henr. Fab. 1647.
Flouris, sum grene, sum blew 1535 Stewart 43893.
Withoutin fude bot grene herbis and frutt Ib. 49260.
Robert the Bruce wnder the levis grene … oftymes all allane 1549 Compl. 63/26.
Cou thou me the raschis grene 1567 G. Ball. 98.
Lyke lawre tre, quhilk euer growis grene 1622-6 Bisset II. 51/30.
Greit woddis … of aikin grene growand triesfig. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 124.
Treuth [micht] retorne with tryvmphe & wax grene, Quhilk fadit was c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxvii. 38.
The [nobill Stewarts] … Thow gart upspring, with branches new and greine 1535 Stewart 16764.
Thocht this tirrane … Be deid him self, his breanchis growis grene(b) c1420 Wynt. i. 420.
A brawnche … of greyne olywe Brus xi. 372 (C).
Thai pottis … [he] helit had Vith stikis and vith girs al greyne c1500-c1512 Dunb. vii. 68.
In thi hand a branch of olyve greyn 1513 Doug. iii. i. 48.
Thidder I went greyn bewis doune to haill Ib. v. 44.
Hectoris voyd tumbe, … Quhilk scho vpbeildit had of herbis greyn 1596 Misc. Spald. C. I. 86.
Steilling … greyn growand bear 1654 Nicoll Diary 131.
Greyne peyis … sauld full and ryp(c) c1590 J. Stewart 167 § 4.
All thy feadit leifis grow sall greine 1596 Dalr. I. 32/15.
In greine and florishing pasture … it abundes Ib. 94/22.
Thair heid thay laid vpon a greine turfe, or sum of the greiner bent or raschis 1653 Lamont Diary 64.
First on the griene grasse, and then on the cassey

b. Of ground: Covered with grass or verdure.Early examples (12–13th c.) occur in place-names, as Grenlaw, Grenegare, Greneham, Grenerig, Greneside. c1420 Wynt. iii. 239.
In thare flattis gret, Than growand grene off wyne and quheyt 1434 Liber. Aberbr. 67.
And sua furth eist … as the Greyne Laich gais 1458 Ib. 104.
And swa sowth … to the furd of Dersy vest the greyn rod a1500 Henr. Robin & M. i.
Robene sat on gud grene hill, Kepand a flok of fe a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 176.
Than he merkit with myrth our ane grene meid 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon. Prol. vi.
The beriall stremis rynning men micht heir By bonkis grene 1549 Compl. 38/21.
The grene feildis … drank up the drops of the fresche deu 1563 Inchaffray Reg. 87.
With ane pece grene eirth liand be est the said Welcroft 1595 Bamff Chart. 144.
Thrie gryt stanes … standing in ane grene braid gait Ib. 145.
Ane uther grene balk lyand … betuix the saidis landis 1636 Misc. Spald. C. V. 225.
Anent the gryt abus and skaith doune be fyr, burning firr stoks, and greine eird 1652 Lanark B. Rec. 148.
To cast any of the forbidden earth, grein earth, and moss turffes

c. Of woods, groves, or gardens. c1400 Troy-bk. i. 446.
Scho couth … ger the woddis grene … Flouris again 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 41.
Sittand on ȝule ewin in ane fresch grene schaw c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1013.
Quhair haue ȝe bene? Quod scho, Into my gardine grene c1590 J. Stewart 18/133. Ib. 67/82.
Scho persawed ane bocage growand greine

2. Of cloth and garments or other articles made of cloth, esp. grene clathe for covering a table, a table-cover.(1) 1498 Halyb. 165.
A stek of gren say 1507 Treas. Acc. III. 260.
Taffeti grene, rede, blew 1538 Ib. VII. 89.
xxvij elnis of reid, ȝallow, and grene serge 15.. Clar. ii. 743.
Sex squyeris he heas gart cleath also In greine satine 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 196.
ij fair courthingis of Turky tafeteis greyne and reid 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 141.
Ane cuscheoun of grene satine Ib. 149.
Thre curtenis of grene damas 1604 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 102.
The cleyth … of grein stemmyne 1618 Edinb. Test. L. 163 b.
Ane steik chainging burret reid and greine 1633 Ib. LVI. 198 b.
Ane … sute of sad greine cloth(2) c1450-2 Howlat 210.
With grene almous [= amice] on hed c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 12.
Thir birdis sang thair houris Within thair courtyns grene Id. Tua Mar. W. 25.
Thair mantillis grein war as the gres 1535 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 150.
That all the ȝoung abil men … haue thair grene cottis 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 98.
Thre greyn cowartouris for comptaris 1580 Coll. Aberd. & B. 391.
Ane pair of drogatt courtingis grein and reid 1674 Fraser P. 258.
Four greine velvat cots … for footmen(3) 1556 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 241.
To mak ane grene clayth to the burd 1569 Ib. III. 261.
Ane dornik buird clayth, ane dissone of seruetis, and ane grein clayth 1580 Coll. Aberd. & B. 392.
Ane lang grein cleith for ane hie burde … , Thre lytill grein burde cleithis for chalmeris 1600 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 276.
To by and furneis cuscheonis and grene claithes to the townis counsal hovs 1607 Ib. 334.
For ane greyne clayth to the lords of the Sessioun, … for allevin quarters Inglis greyne clayth 1634 Stirling's Royal Lett. II. 765.
To delyuer out of his said office … the grencloth, all such silver-plate, naprie [etc.] … as wer in his charge

3. Of various things of this colour. 1456 Hay I. 9/9.
The thrid part of the blude was grene 1494 Edinb. Hammermen 7.
For the flowring of the candill with gren walx c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxvii. 37.
Moir gudely eik na is the emerant greyne 1513 Doug. i. ix. 9.
Wantand bot ane, amang the fludis greyn Quham we saw droun Ib. iii. ii. 113.
Quhar growis the marbill greyn 15.. Clar. iii. 203.
Lang scho lay with deadlie visage greine 1567 G. Ball. 176.
With bullis of leid, quhyte wax and reid, And vther quhylis with grene 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 240.
Ane grene buist paintit on the lid a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 229.
The starnis … Sum reid, sum ȝellow, blew, and grein 1607 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 27.
The sowme of fourtene punds … to be putt in the greyne boxe 1651 Edinb. Test. LXV. 158.
Thrie dussane of greine spoones

4. Not yet seasoned, dried, or preserved in any way: a. Of wood or timber. 14.. Acts I. 337/2.
Thai mak the saidillis of grene tymmer quhair thai aw to be maid of widderit and dry c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii. 44.
His saikles blude agane thay shed Persing his heid with pykis grene a1568 Flemyng Bann. MS. 160 b/70.
Men … with ane grene sting hes gart thame bring The geir a1578 Pitsc. I. 336/5.
Ane faire palice of greine tymmer 1622-6 Bisset II. 9/29.
He wes maist crowellie crucyfeid on ane croce of grene trie

b. Of skins or hides: Untanned. 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 134.
Arlis to the fleschour … for grene scheip skynnis and hydes 1586 Edinb. Test. XVI. 42 b.
xxxiij grene hydis new laid in the bark hoill with bark to bark thame 1591 St. A. Test. II. 171.
Of barket and grene ledder in the pottis fyve dalkeris 1630 Edinb. B. Rec. VII. 85.
That na maisters nor servandis … pas to anye buith or fleschour hous to buye anye grein skynnis

c. Of fish, esp. herring: Fresh, unsalted. 1587 Reg. Privy C. IV. 216.
With thair schippis laidnit with grene fishe … gottin upoun the mayne sey 1598 Conv. Burghs. II. 34.
Ilk thousand grene hering loissit and sauld 1614 Melrose P. 130.
That no assise aucht to be craved of ony hering, bot of suche as ar broght freshe and greene to land 1624 Orkney & Zetl. Test. I. 109.
Ane barrell & ane half of grein hering 1664 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp 11.
For a dishe of greene fishe

d. Of various other things. 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 21.
For grene ginger tane at diuers tymes 1579 Edinb. Test. VII. 241 b.
Makand in the barne ten bollis … grene malt.; of maid malt in the loft nyne bollis 1607 Misc. Maitl. C. I. 170.
To the furnesching of the desertis, … twa pund of grein feges 1612 Bk. Rates 365.
Drugs … , Grene ginger the pound … xii s. 1628 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II. 438.
Aganis putters of greene lint in running waters

5. In transf. and fig. uses.(1) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 369.
His body … alswa fresche & gren, As it that day grawin had bene(2) 1513 Doug. i. i. 67.
The etern wound hyd in her breist, ay grein 1522 Acta Conc. MS. XXXIII. 107.
Considering the greyn slauchtiris … that is done apon thaim 1533 Bell. Livy I. 167/23.
He schew mony grene [L. recentes] woundis on his bak 15.. Clar. i. 127.
For ȝaiking of his woundis newe and greine 1557 Digest Justiciary Proc. B. 142.
The wound then wes grene and resent 1596 Dalr. II. 188/18.
Perchance the rememberans of this grene wound … makes ȝow the feirter(3) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 317.
I held ay grene in to his mynd that I of grace tuk him 1513 Doug. i. ix. 54.
Thi honour and thi fame sall euir be grene 1535 Stewart 17091.
The rancour wes … in thair mynd so recent and so grene(4) a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 24.
I traistit that Venus … My faidit hart of lufe scho wald mak grene a1568 Kennedy Bann. MS. 52 b/9.
Grene ȝowth to aige thow mon obey c1500-c1512 Dunb. xc. 65.
With pith and strenth into thi ȝeris grene 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 321.
Greyn gentill ingynys and breistis curageus Ib. x. 6.
So that the amorus queyn He mycht inflambe, within hir banys greyn Id. K. Hart 550.
Vant and Vane-gloir with new grene appetyte a1568 Bann. MS. 255 a/26.
Thocht luve be grene in gud curage, … The end of it is miserie 1596 Dalr. I. 61/14.
Wormes, of quhilkes sum war ȝit greine & ȝoung [L. rudia]

6. a. In various special uses, with broth, cheis, cot (coat), grave, guse, horn, kail, lime, serene, ȝarde. 1615 3rd Rep. Hist. MSS. App. III. 412/2.
At supper … twa dische of grein brothe 1549 Compl. 43/2.
Flot quhaye, grene cheis, kyrn mylk 1600–1 State P. No. 108/10 (Reg. Ho) 4.
Giff they hard ony crying of ‘Grene cottis, bludie botscheris [etc.]’ Ib.
Johne Rentoull cryand ‘Grene cottis, ȝe haue committit murther’ 15.. Aberd. B. Rec. (J).
New and grein graves 1601 Elgin Rec. II. 96.
Gryt perell through bureing of people in the kirkyaird … and within the kirk itself by raising of grene graivis and holking under the kirk vall 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 399.
To the woman that brocht grene geys to the King Relation of the Fight at Leith (1650) 6.
The Scotch king being upon the castle hill, to see his men which he called his Green Hornes beaten 1682 C. Irvine Hist. Scot. Nomencl. 241.
Tyrones, fresh-water souldiers, or new-levyed; greenhorns: also it signifieth novices in any profession 1640 Trans. Hawick Archaeol. (1868) 10.
Whatsomever person that steillis any of their neighbours' peittis, green-kail, corn, etc. 1665 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 135.
The defenders came again and … destroyed his green kaill 1533 Boece vii. x. 242.
The new bigging parte of grene lyme, parte myxt with mortare, was nocht ȝit hard nor solid 1549 Compl. 39/25.
The grene serene sang sueit, quhen the gold spynk chantit 1474 Treas. Acc. I. 3.
The fewferme of Johne of Sollaris for the grene ȝardis besyde Striueline c1515 Asl. MS. I. 235/7.
Dauid Levingstoun of the grene ȝardis 1595 Logie Par. Hist. I. 42.
Henri Levingstone of Waster Greinȝairds

b. Comb. with -hefted, -hewit, -hornit. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 11.
Vnder ane holyn hewinlie grein hewit 1563 Prot. Bk. J. Drummond 30.
ix oxin, … ane grene-hornit 1625 Brechin Test. IV. 198.
Ane dusson grein hornit sponis 1664 Inventory in Decreets Dal. XI.
Fyve pair of greinhefted knyves