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

Ledder, n.² Also: -ir, -yr, -yir; -ar; leder, lyr; lad(d)er, -yr, laeder. [ME. and e.m.E. leder (c 1420), -yr, ledder (1497): cf. Lether n.]

1. Leather.(a) 14.. Acts I. 336/2.
[Hucksters,] Thai by leddir and barkis and concelis the Kingis custum 1508 Treas. Acc. IV. 26.
For iij rede skinnis of leddir to be ane doublat to the King, ilk pece xxx s. 1513 Doug. i. vi. 108.
Sum haldis opynyon that in thai dais the monye was mad of cuyrbulye or leddyr 1570 Inverness Rec. I. 188.
Bying of leddyr hard and fresche 1636 Dumbarton B. Rec. 48.
Tje schoone maid in this burgh being bad in baith sewing and leddir(b) 1456 Acts II. 45/2.
That he haif … a targe othir of ledder or of fyrne burde 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 85.
In a purs of ledder a 1500 Coll. St. Salvator 161.
Ane tertian of casys of ledder to the … relikis 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 176.
Ane les pair of lastis; item, ane stark to vork the ledder vpoun with thair feytt 1584 Edinb. Test. XIV. 36 b.
The haill peces of ledder for cobling estimat to aucht pund 1586 St. A. Test. II. 63.
To Madyn Gray viij d. for the expensis in laying and turning of the ledder xij s. 1590 Crim. Trials I. ii. 195.
[He] brayit the same poysoune, and putt itt in ane pece ledder 1617 Acts IV. 557/1.
That all barkaris off ledder … lett thair ledder ly in the bark poittis to the full tyme a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1226.
Of other mens ledder men taks lairge quhaings c1650 Spalding I. 347.
[They] furneshit out fourscoir four pair of schois … and gat payment … for the ledder(c) 1517 Treas. Acc. V. 157.
For vj gret baggis of leddar maid for keping of the gun powdir 1545–6 Ib. VIII. 441.
To William Fraser, saidlar, … for ane doubill soume of leddar(d) 1481 Acts II. 132/2.
That euery aixman … sal hafe a targe of tree or leder 1558–9 Inverness Rec. I. 28.
For lowsing of the arrest pot [= put] in his ledyr 1581 Lanark B. Rec. 78.
[They] tuik avay the said leder(e) 1559 Inverness Rec. I. 34.
[The council] hes licent hyme to haue the tway part of his barkit laddyr to the merkat a1586 Lindsay MS. 10.
Ane harnes … couerit with ladder sowit with pointis 1630 Bamff Chart. 223.
Ane coffer cowered with lader

b. Attrib. and comb. : Made of leather, consisting of leather; (tanner, dresser etc.) of leather.(1) 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 48.
For iij dosan of leddir skinnis to the battering of it 1512 Ib. IV. 343.
For ane leddir bag to turse the said gun powder 1540 Maxwell Mem. I. 408.
Ane hors hows; … ane ledder tee; … ane ledder cwrpull 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII. 25.
For twa unce pasmentis of silk to ane auld ledder cote of the Kingis graces 1551 Ib. X. 22.
For ane ledder poik to turs thir colouris in, to Linlythqw 1578 McDowall Dumfries App. 263.
Leddir pointis, the gross iiij d. 1591 Fam. Rose 280.
In ane quhyte ledder purs in pois, fywe crounes of the sunne 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Serplath.
Twelue dowzane of glooues, or ledder poyntes, makis ane grosse 1634 Peebles Gleanings 171.
For ane ledder wallit to put in our writis 3 s. 1638 Elphinstone Mun. 26.
Ane stampit ledder cushoun 1643 Aberd. Council Lett. II. 355.
The quhole wreittis … sent with the same in ane ledder pock 1692 Inchmahome Pr. 158.
Ane leder suet dublat(2) 1587 Aberd. Chart. 350.
But preiudice of the … preuilege of leddir barcaris in bying of sick hyddis … and barking and selling of the same 1695 Greyfriars Interments 461.
Joseph Morison, ledergilter

c. transf. ? Skin (? espec. of the pubes); hence, the pudenda. c1530-40 Stewart Bann. MS. 140 b/29.
The laich ledder thay litt 1540 Lynd. Sat. Proclam. 274.
Ȝe ladyis, that hes na skent of leddir, Or ȝe cum thair, faill nocht to teme ȝour bleddir 1540 Id. Sat. 1324.
It is half a ȝeir almaist Sen evir that loun laborit my leddir

2. A piece of leather; a hide. 1559 Inverness Rec. I. 37.
Thar hale leddyiris quhilk war in bark and lyme 1576 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. 25.
viij s. for tua stane of bark and tua schillingis ane pair of new ledderis to schone 1577 Inverness Rec. I. 254.
Sa far of the saidis ledderis as apertenis … to the Greit Almerall or his deputis

3. A finished article made of leather; a piece of leather fashioned to a specific use. 1501 Treas. Acc. II. 51.
Ane sadil graithit with ledderis, sterap irnis, [etc.] 1529 Ib. V. 370.
Ane pair of ledderis sowit in armyn irnis 1587 Ib. MS. 92 b.
Sex pair of new cowpillis to the houndis, … for mending of the yrnis of aucht pair of new ledderis to thame 1608 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 218.
For tuelf great boltis to the instrument quhairvpoun the ledder of the bellowis wes wrocht

4. With defining terms (in senses 1 and 3).Quhite, blak, reid, gray ledder and dry and wat (weit) ledder.Also Danskin, North Cuntrey, Portugal ledder; dog, hart, kid, lam, nout, wild ledder; barkit, roch, stampit, wrocht ledder; and chepman, hand, maumer, pomp, schelde, schone, sole, sterop ledder: see these words.(1) 1505 Treas. Acc. III. 43.
For ij skinnis of quhit leddir to the ermyngis of the Quenis goun — 1508 Ib. IV. 121.
For covering of tua targatis of blak leddir 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 238.
Ane bulget of blak ledder 1615 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 84.
Lent Mr William Fergusone my raper hingeris of blak ledder — 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 436.
For ane hud of red leddir to him 1561 Inv. Q. Mary 36.
Thre sewit worset cusscheonis lynit with reid leddir 1597 Bk. Rates 6 b.
Ilk hyde of reid ledder x li. — 1682 Old Ross-shire I. 144.
The shewmaker … to make a pair of shewis … [of] gray laeder(2) 1539 Treas. Acc. VII. 10.
Twa coveringis of dry leddir to the saidis twa rapperis xxx s. 1580 Treas. Acc. MS. 36 (2).
Twa marykin skynnis to be his maiestie ane pair of dry ledder buittis 1582 Edinb. Test. XI. 33 b.
My best pair of dry lether schone & ane pair of new watt ledder schone quhilk I leue to … my bruther 1603 Montgomery Mem. 247.
For sax par of coullorit dray ledder shoues 1609 Soc. Ant. IV. 393.
Fiftie pair of weit ledder schone to serwandis price of the pair tuentie schillingis