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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Hure, Huir, n. Also: hur, hwre; huire, huyr, hwir, hwyr; hewr, heu(i)r; hour, houir(e, howr, howir. [Late north. ME. hure (1483), ME. houre, hoore (14th c.), hore, OE. hóre, ON. hóra.]

1. A prostitute, a harlot. Also applied to unchaste women generally. Also fig.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xliv. 160.
Thi patrimone … Thu has dispendit … One thaim that has corrumpit thé, Thar-for as hure thu ansueris me c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxi. 58.
Quhair fortoun evir … dissavis With freyndly smylingis of ane hure 1533 Gau 16/5.
Thay … that … committis fornicatione with hwris or ony licht persons 1531 Bell. Boece ii. 167.
The young men … fillit the army full of bordellis, tavernis and huris 1533 Boece ix. xx. 341.
In his palace he nurist ane garde of huris c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 132.
That none may knaw, I ȝow assure, Ane honest woman be ane hure c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii. 671.
He maryit Raab the commoun hure 1560 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 80.
Tuiching all hurris within the said toun 1558-66 Knox II. 67.
The Frenche menis harlotis, of quhom the maist pairt war Scottis hureis 1569 Reg. Privy C. II. 64.
All sic personis as war knawin commoun huris and harlottis to be beneist … of all fre burghis 15.. Misc. Bann. C. III. 39.
Sa was Arthur, spurius and a huris sone, sauf reverence, maid a king 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 15.
Interteiners of the maisterfull begger … John Burg, … with his hurisfig. 1490 Irland Mir. fol. 235 b.
Before this … haly mariage of the saule with God, it was the hure and lemmane of the Innemy(b) 1535 Stewart 30209.
Puttand his plesour into euerie huir, That of his wyfe he tuke richt litill cuir 1560 St. A. Kirk S. 57.
[She] said sche wald abuse hir bodi and be ane huyr 1567 Sat. P. vii. 119.
The nobillis sould nether of thir enduire, That lowne [sc. Bothwell] to leif, nor hir [sc. Queen Mary] to be his huire 1587-99 Hume 78/341.
In bordels vile a virgine chaist and puir, Becums with time a vile effronted huir c1615 Chron. Kings 12.
Euenus … gef leiff … to all his subiectis to have hwirris and commone wemen(c) 1570 Leslie 48.
[The King] had lychtlyit his awin nobill Quene and intertanit ane howir … in her place a1570-86 Maitl. F. clxxviii. 32.
All this sorow & mischeif Is nother cum of houir nor theiff a1578 Pitsc. I. 348/26.
It is not lesum to kirkmen to spend … the patromeney of the kirk … on harlattis and houris(d) 1540 Lynd. Sat. 255 (B).
Thay [sc. prelates] think na schame to keip ane heuir, And sum hes thre vndir thair ceuir 1591-2 Rob. Stene 12.
Quhat clan can want sum heur or theif?

b. As a coarse term of abuse applied to a woman. 1533 Wigtown B. Ct. 289 b.
Callane hyre teif and hovire 1547 Stirling B. Rec. I. 47.
Huchoun amerciat for trubling of Besse Efflek, sayand to hir, Raistit huir, and glengoir huir 1559 Inverness B. Rec. I. 35.
Calling of hyr commond huyr, trowmpor huyr 1565 Ib. 128.
The said William … callit hyr blay ribald missaell lipper hwyr 1572 Elgin Rec. I. 131.
The wrangus injuryng the said Valter in callyng ... his moder ane commond hewr 1603 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 91.
For sclandering the said Walteris wyfe ane theifes hwre 1653 Lanark B. Rec. 151.
Challengit for the railling … of Marion Kilpatrick in calling hir huir and loun

c. To play the hure, to act as a prostitute. 1573 Sat. P. xxxix. 167.
Bot mell with madenis quhen thay play the huir 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Prostituo, to cause play the hure

2. fig. The hure of Babylon, of Rome, the Roman Catholic Church. 1581 Sat. P. xliv. 42.
That chyre of Antichrist … , That hure of Babylon and Prince of Atheisme Ib. 49.
Mony be fosterit vnder this huris band c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxix. 93.
Bott frome thatt fillthie hour of Rome, Lord keip me euer more