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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mere, Meir, n.¹ Also: mer, meire, meyr(e, mear(e, meer(e, miere. [ME. mere, meer(e, OE. mre (West-saxon mere, mre). Cf. also Mar(e n.²]

1. A mare, female horse.For many further examples, see the various common qualifying words, as ambland, bausond, beld, crukit, dun, gray. Holland, keir, liart, skabbit, stude, etc.(a) c1420 Wynt. i. 1019.
Wytht out stalown the merys thar Off the wynde consayvand are 1456 Misc. Bann. C. III. 93.
xij merys and stagges 1499–1500 Acta Conc. II. 357.
Thre meris, the price of the pece xl s. 1503 Dunferm. B. Rec. 127.
For the vrangvis hurtyn of his mer 1511 Treas. Acc. IV. 284.
For the Kingis merz expensis 1516 Fam. Rose 190. 1558 Black Bk. Taymouth 124. 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 435.
To change thair wyfis … ofter nor thay do thair meres or hors 1605 Prestwick B. Rec. 86.
Mers(b) 1424 Acts II. 4/2.
The wilde meir with hir folowar 1458–9 Montrose Baillie Ct. 10 b.
For ilk hors & meyr on the linkis 1478 Acta Aud. 82/1. a1500 Peblis to Play 151. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 201/1.
He … send hir sa hame … on a meyre and hir face till the meris tale 1504 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 49. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xiii. 6.
Bot laitly lichtit of my meir 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 61.
The stonyt hors … by the sent of a meyr [etc.] 15.. Sym & Bruder 95.
On his gray meir fast furth thay cald him 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. 191 b.
ii meyrrys 1535 Stewart 31845.
It semit als … That euirilk meir ane bairdit hors had bene 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1977, 1986, 3288. 1549 Compl. 39/3.
Baytht horse & meyris did fast nee 1558 Inverness Rec. I. 21.
Ane meyr of myne quhilk I gef hyme in plege of xxx s. a1568 Scott xxxiv. 109.
Rycht swa the meir refusis The cursour for ane awer 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 154 b.
Thrie hors and ane meir with hir follouar 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 608.
The vicar of Dunbuge on a meir 1594 Black Bk. Taymouth 299.
Thair vas ane mekill gray meir … cwuerit with the mekil gray cursor 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) ii.
For the stowth of ane halff of ane lymit meiris skinis [sic] 1609 Argyll Rentals 9 Oct.
Sex littill beistis of hors and meiris 1632 Justiciary Cases I. 211. 1634 Wedderburn Gramm. 19.
Equa, a meire 1675 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS. 9 June.
For the hyre of ane gray meir a1700 Mare of Colinton 67.(c) 1572 Reg. Privy C. II. 166.
He causit … appryise twa mearis 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Equa, a meare 1618 Black Bk. Taymouth 360.
The awnar of ewirie horse meare staig or fillie that [etc.] 1637 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 463.
Ilk hors in vark … daylie tuantie four shillingis and ilk mear als meikill in vark 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 21.
A whyte meare 1661 Elgin Rec. II. 296. 1662 Crim. Trials III. 610.
He [sc. the Devil] wold be amongst ws lyk a weath horse amongst mears 1694 Lanark Presb. 123. 1697 Old-lore Misc. IX. i. 48.
Ane accompt of horse, shalties and meares and staiges 1700 Argyll Justic. Rec. I. 199.(d) 1640 Lanark Presb. 20.
To Alex^r Ram his meere 1670 Stitchill Baron Ct. 59.
Fyve pund two shillings … as the pryce … of a meer 1694 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. 3 Ser. XXXIII. 136.(e) 1676 Kirkcudbr. Test. 2 Feb.
Ane old miere with a fole

b. In various allusive, proverbial and fig. contexts.Meir of Mar, cf.: J. Major Hist. (1740) vi. 14.
Equiis Marræ qui in juventute boni sunt et in senectute maliThat samyn hors is my awin meir, = I have the very same purpose, we are alike in this.Henrie Shanks meirs (= Shanks's pony, one's own legs as a means of transportation): see Schank n.For numerous further occurrences in proverbs see a1628 Carmichael Prov. Nos. 135, 1713, 1737, 1811, etc. a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 261.
This dewlbeir generit of a meir of Mar 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 45.
Sum grenys quhil the gyrs grow for his gray meir [: ȝeir, qweir, feir] 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 541.
Joke Vponeland that tyme did mys his meir 1540 Lynd. Sat. 698 (B).
Now be the gud lady that did me beir [Ch. that me bair] That samyn hors is my awin meir [Ch. mair] a1568 Scott i. 141.
The heidismen hes ‘cor mundum’ in thair mouth, Bot nevir with mynd to gif the man his meir a1605 Montg. Flyt. 88.
Thow grenis to gaip vpon the grey meir [: ȝeir, cheir n., ovrsmeir] Id. Ch. & Slae 905 (Wr.).
That marke [E. meir] may leave you in the myre As sicker as yee sit a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS. No. 1557.
Ye breid of ane galled meir 1696 Donaldson Husbandry 122.
Some thick scul'd peasant that sees as farr in states affairs as a mear doth in a mill-stone

c. As a term of opprobrium applied to a woman. 1628 Fraserburgh Kirk S. II. 18 June.
That he hard Elspet Patersone call Elspet Mill whore & fals theiff swollin meir Ib.
Mismaid meir, the schireff wauld get hir geir

d. comb.(1) 1578 Edinb. Test. VI. 167.
Ane meir staig price vj merkis 1582 Ib. XI. 27 b. 1595 Melville Chart. 137.
Ane meir … ane meir staig … ane vther wark meir 1624 Brechin Test. IV. 160 b.
Ane ȝeir auld meir staige iiij li. 1692 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 461 (5 Sept.).(2) 1609 Brechin Test. III. 29.
Ane meir foill pryce x lib.

2. transf. a. A hod for carrying mortar or the like.Also morter-meir, Mortar n. 1564–5 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 205.
For making of ane mear to beir the morter in, viij d. 1577–8 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 465.
To Robert Graye for tymmir to be ane meir 1591–2 Ayr B. Acc. 174. 1629 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 303.
The thrie meiris for lyme 1633 Ib. 339. 1677 Edinb. City Archives McLeod's Bundle 39.
To forge all mears scubitts and other tooles neidfull for the neilling house

b. A wooden frame on which soldiers and others were made to ‘ride’ as a public punishment. c1650 Spalding I. 290.
He causit big wp betuixt the crosses ane tymber meir, qwhairvpone runnaget knaves and run away soldiouris sould ryde Ib. 295.
And ane old man of the toun … wes schortlie wairdit for these wordis, syne rode the meir, to his gryte hurt and pane Ib. 309. 1650 Nicoll Diary 33. 1651 Stirling B. Rec. II. 306. 1678 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 431. 1678 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 431.
For cullering in oyll culler the mear at the maine gaird 1679 Stirling Common Good 134.
For taking vp the meare to the way hous quhen the soulders marchit