Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Lire, Lyr(e, n.¹ Also: lyir. [ME. lire, lyre, e.m.E. lyre (1584, 1610), OE. líra. In mod. dial. only Sc. and north. Eng.]

1. Flesh or brawn; the fleshy part of a person or ammal in contradistinction to the bone and skin. a1500 Sir Eger 842.
What flesh it ever hapneth in, Either in lyre or yet in skin, … It shall him do wonder great harm 1513 Doug. i. iv. 91.
Sum gobbettis of lyre Kest in caldronys Ib. xiii. ii. 23.
With platis full the altaris by and by Thai can do charge, and wirschip with fat lyre 1531 Bell. Boece II. 359.
Ane image of ane deid man. nakit of flesche and lire 1535 Stewart 3676.
Sum held hir grip quhill all hir lyre wes revin Ib. 35200.
Tua rostit eggis, het as ony fyre, Wnder hir oxtaris in hir tender lyre Tha band thame thair Ib. 37226. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 343.
Tratour, I sall … bet thy banis, baith bodie, bowk and lyre c1475 Wall. (1570) ii. 401.
Wallace … with his suerd has him tayne Throw braune and lyre 1572 Sat. P. xxxii. 77.
Smaikis … Hes schot my wyfe throw birsket, lyre and fell

2. Coupled with bane (bone), chiefly bane and lyre or lyre and bane. Before the 17th c. only in verse. a. Chiefly in the formula: To burn (also consume, destroy etc.) an animal or (chiefly) person, flesh and bone, to the marrow, utterly. b. In other applications.a. (1) a1400 Leg. S. vii. 834 (see Bane n.¹ 3). —Ib. xxxviii. 504. Ib. xliv. 286.
He … kiste thare in pyk & brynstan To bryne hyre bath lyre & bane c1420 Wynt. vii. 2748 (W). c1475 Wall. v. 1109.
Quham euir he strak he byrstyt bayne and lyr 1513 Doug. vi. iv. 37.
The hail bowkis of bestys, bayn and lyre, Amyd the flambys kest and haly fyre 1535 Stewart 51874. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2443.
Quhen he beleuit thay wer brynt, bone and lyre 1567 G. Ball. 187.
Bot all pure folk … Was skaldit baine and lyre c1590 J. Stewart 92/461.
The lord of luife, quho birns me all in fyre, Maks vith his vings this vind … Quhill I destroyit be both bon and lyre 1587-99 Hume 37/107.
The sea and earth … Sall be brunt vp and euerie thing shall burne … flesh, bodie, bain and lyre a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxxvii. 15. 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. iv. 5.
The fire (although fearce) hes not bene forborne; as to the which, in defraude of the wormes, many hes betaught their body, both bone and lyre(2) 1513 Doug. iv. ii. 37.
Of hoyt amouris the subtell quent fyre Waistis and consumys merth, banys, and lyre 1535 Stewart 36324.
Thair bowellis syne war brint all in ane fyre, In powlder small, the banis with the lyir 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6684.
I rather burne thé ten times in ane fire, Thy hors, thy self, baith bowk, banis and lireb. a1500 Sir Eger 1758.
For he was large of lyre and bone, And nourishing he wanted none 1581-1623 James VI Poems II. 56/58.
Nou are ye uaxit great & fatt at onis & creishe hath ouircledd youre lyre & bonis c1650 Spalding I. 337.
Quhair thay were all suddantlie blawin wp with the roof of the hous in the air, by pulder, … and neuer bone nor lyre sein of thame agane

3. The fleshy part of a roast capon etc. as distinguished from a ‘limb’ or joint: see Lim n. 2 c.