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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Oversé, -sie, v. Also: ovir-, ower-, -ir- and -see, -sye. P.t. -saw(e. P.p. -sene, -sein(e, -seyne, -seen(e, -sien(e. [ME. over-se, e.m.E. -see, p.t. ME. over-seȝ (Owl & N.), e.m.E. -sawe (Caxton), p.p. ME. over-seye (Piers Pl.), e.m.E. -seen, -sene, OE. oferséon. Cf. Oursé v.]

I. 1. tr. a. To look upon, survey. b. To look over, examine, peruse (a writing). c. To inspect. d. To observe, notice, see.a. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 806.
Quhen that I had ouersene this regioun The quhilk, of nature, is baith gude and fairb. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 764.
Als sone as thir seuin maisters had ouirsene The Empreours writ, & vnderstude it 1693 Rothesay B. Rec. 486.
Adam Stewart to be [sic] oversie the booke and know what is therinc. 1556 Dunferm. Hammermen 43.
We … give them power to have deacons to visit and oversee all kinds of craftsmen 1605 Glasgow Chart. I. i. dcx.
The deane of gild and his counsall to owersie and reforme the mettis and mesouris 1649 Elgin Rec. II. 435.
A generall censur to be appointed for overseeing the whole schoolld. 1581 J. Hamilton Cath. Tr. in Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 90/23.
The minister of Drumfreis ouerseing the gretest man of the cuntrie to ressaue his sacrament … vpon his kneyis the rest of the peple follouing. … The minister … thunderit aganis thame

2. To superintend, supervise, be in charge of, manage, look after. a. A charge of any kind. b. Persons. Also c. absol. d. With clause obj.a. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1816.
As auditouris thay ouirse quhat is spent 1550 Dundee B. Ct. MS. II. 9 b (27 Oct.).
[To] owerse and caus ordour to be kepit vpoun breid & aile 1555–6 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 230.
xvij vlkis quhilkis he avatit and ouersaw the werk of the Newhavin 1622-6 Bisset II. 221/2.
Oversie 1631–2 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. IV. 464.
[He came forth] to oversee his husbandrie 1653 Inverness Rec. II. 207.
Which dewtie the officiar being about and I myselff oversieinge the samen [etc.]b. 1532 Haddington B. Rec. in Soc. Ant. II. 403.
John Lawta wes choissyn to oversee the coilȝers 1607 Mylne Master Masons 93.
Owirsie c1650 Spalding I. 376.
Diuers lordis … who tuke vpone thame to reull and gyd all and to oversie as worthie nobles as thame selffis in the publict bussines 1660 Bentinck Dornoch 240.
For the family will goe quyte lousse iff ther be not dewtie keipt wp, and on to owersie them 1673 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 146.
The thesaurers … sall oversie the cheyldring that non of the maisters or teachers putt them in clogs any longer space than ther fault deservesc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xvi. 58 (B).
To teiche to rewill and to ouirsied. 1575 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 343.
Some to have power to oversie and visite sick reasonable bounds besydes his awin flocke as the generall kirk sall appoint 1582 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 48.
Robert Mengȝes … to owirsie awyit and attend for the yeir to cum that guid ordour be obseruit be the personis placit in the saidis hospitallis 1589–90 Edinb. B. Rec. v. 14.
Jhonn Crawfurd to owersie the stepill 1590 Conv. Burghs I. 338.
The magistratis … to ouersye the executioun of the said act

II. 3. To fail to see or notice. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 922.
Euin sa did this ȝoung man … Persaue ane sterne quhilk his maisters ouirsaw

4. To fail to attend to, to disregard, neglect. 1563 Davidson Answer fol. 13 (= W.S. ed., 208).
As we suld ouersee & neglect the worke … of God 1565 Instit. Ct. Sess. 3 b.
Quhairthrow diuers materis of the lieges of this realme ar ouirsene and tint throch negligence 1563-72 Ferg. Tracts 72.
And the schuilis vtterlie neglectit and ouersene 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii. 717.
For now sum kirkis ar weill prouydit And … it is better till haue part Weill stakit into euerie airt Nor to haue all spilt and ouirsene 1574 Conv. Burghs I. 34.
The principall caus concerning thair estait is ovirsene, diferrit and dilayit 1579 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 109.
The … counsale foirseing … the appointit dayis and houris … to be ouersene and nocht keipeit 1580 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 114.
And vndirstanding … the securitie maid be thame to the said Thomas … ves be negligence ouirsene and nethir securitie nor act thairof sufficientlie bukit 1589 St. A. B. Ct. 6 May.
The comoun guid of this cietie is owersein and nocht collectit & taine wp & sindry comoun effairis off this cietie neglectit & sleuthit throw wanting of ane collectour 1596 Cal. Sc. P. XII. 241.
[For reducing the isles to his obedience and profit which heretofore has been] oversein 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 128/5.
But gif ouir greate respecte being hadd to these accessouris the principall causis [in marriage] be ouerseene 1612 Mining Rec. 157. 1636 Moray Synod 39.
Non of the brethren sall owersie the repentance of anie man for the payment of his penaltie how great soever it be 1658 Lanark B. Rec. 163.
Overseine c1650 Spalding I. 301.
The Erll of Fyndlater had lykuaies ordour to vplift the laird of Banff his haill rentis, who oversaw not that bussiness, haueing no goodwill at Banf 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 322.

b. To fail to profit from, to waste (time). a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. civ. 22.
Na tyme ouirse bot besey be

5. To ignore, leave out, pass over (a person), deliberately or through want of proper attention. 1535–6 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 74.
Swa the saidis persouns to be daylie payit of the said waige be the nychtbouris, and nane of the nychtbouris that may pay to be owersene, and that the officeris be sworne that thai sall nocht owerse ony nychtbouris that may pay 1563 Davidson Answer (W.S.) 185.
Quhow the Abbote oversaw the Haly Spirit for his awin avantage 1579 Reg. Privy C. III. 138.
Seing commonlie the strangest beggaris … gettis the almous, quhen the maist misterfull, seik, and impotent creatouris ar owirsene and neglectit 1586-7 Rait & Cameron King James's Secret 109.
The sincere observation of our so straict freyndship could not permit ws to be oversene or neglected in a matter of so great weght 1607 Melrose P. 27.
Ouerseene 1596 Dalr. II. 466/3.
Quhen tha war barnes vtterlie ouersene in the catechisme 1654 Nicoll Diary 132.
Onlie my Lord Hoptoun a Scott and very fyne judicious man wes oversene 1688 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II. 274.
I then being a soldier in the Kings service and overseen

6. spec. To fail to take action against, to allow to go uncensured or unpunished, to overlook, tolerate. a. A crime or fault.(a) c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv. 62.
Thinkand richt weill thay wald not that ouirse But punischement with all austeritie That [etc.] c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4912.
Bot sen the Pope … dois ouerse sic vyces manifest [etc.] 1567 Sat. P. vi. 46.
That God wald not sic thingis ouerse 1578 Conv. Burghs I. 76.
Aganis sersouris quhilkis ouerseis the forebodin wairis of this realme to be transported or careit furth of the samyn 1594 Cal. Sc. P. XI. 313. 1652 Johnston Diary II. 162.
I did heare thes of Fyfe … was dealing by Durye for the Inglishes overseing their meiting upon underhand assurance that they should not medle with the Inglishes a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 508.(b) 1596 Dalr. II. 220/4.
Because thift, reife, and traytourie ouer sair tha ouersawe quhais correctioune to thame cheiflie perteynet c 1638 Baillie I. 163.
He oversaw adulterie, slighted charming, neglected preaching(c) c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iv. 496.
All faltis … He did or said … Be quite forȝet, ouirsene, and all forlane 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 168.
The magistratis … to haue owersene the transporting of the samyne or haue winkit thairat 1599 Reg. Privy C. VI. 44.
That the bipast stouthis and reiffis … be not past ouer and ouersene bot that redres be rassavit

b. A person.(a) 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 486.
Thocht God ane quhyle he dois ouir-se ȝow Thynk weill he dois behauld and ee ȝow 1595 Conv. Burghs I. 465.
The complaint … aganis the brughis … for owerseing and componeing with vnfremen and foirstalleris to by and sell woll 1600-1610 Melvill 349.
Colludars with sklanderus persones in dispensing and ower-seing tham for money 1597 James VI Dæmonol. 78.
Whether may the prince … spare or ouer-see any that are guiltie of that craft? 1630 Rutherford Christ & Doves 15.
All that hurts Christ's vineyard should be apprehended … But alas! the commissioners, the pastors, the judges over-sees them(b) a1578 Pitsc. II. 195/4.
That thair cuming was to persew thame that slew the king and for na vthir causis and so the castell and the toune ovirsaw thame 1598 Marischal Coll. Rec. 92.
Tuo riggis … whairof he has no sett bot a naked word in favour of his brother M. Thomas for whose cause I ewer oversaw him(c) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4586.
Thocht thay haif concubynis fyftene In to that cace thay ar ouersene 1567 Sel. MSS. Q. Mary 304.
Mony notour to be criminat are ovirseine unpunist and all laid upon ane 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 399.
Sum will think because he was continuallie in Court and seruit the King he was esilie ouersene a1578 Pitsc. I. 65/13.
They had never bene so gilltie they war owersene or ellis he gat thame frie respettis … of all offences 1615 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 25 Apr.
Creawing that this ane tyme he may be ower seine c1630 Scot Narr. 71. 1651 R. Brown Paisley I. 263.
He has beine oversiene in using the liberties of ane freeman since his freedome wes cryd downe 1693 Sc. Ant. IV. 83.
She being a poore woman and having nothing to pay was oversien by the late incumbents

c. absol. 1596 Dalr. II. 223/20.
As seueir punisment drewe vicious persounis frome vice, sa to be saft and ouersie prouokes thame daylie mair

d. To spare (a potential victim or target of attack). 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 32.
The horsmen raid to Newbottill and brynt it and owersaw Dalkeith be the moyane of George Dowglas

e. Const. infin.: Culpably or as a concession, to tolerate another to do something.Appar. chiefly with the implication that it is one's duty to suppress what the other is doing. 1571–2 Reg. Privy C. II. 115.
The said Maister Archibald salbe owersene to brouke the personage of Glasgow 1597 James VI Dæmonol. 24.
Diuerse Christian princes … will not onelie ouer-see magicians to liue within their dominions, but [etc.] 1630 Linlithgow B. Rec. 2 Apr.
The … counsall hes owerseine James Johnstone … to remaine in the towne 1668 Edinb. Surgeons II. 30.

7. To neglect to insist upon, to forego. 1579 Reg. Privy C. III. 324.
The said Lord … wes content to owirse his titill … to the said pensioun 1580 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 131.
The saidis maisteris of the Colledge … ar content that all the rest be ouersene of byrunnis 1586-7 Rait & Cameron King James's Secret 90.
He … is maist ernist to seik … quhow to sowppresse the King of Spanis gretnes … And thay think heir he wald be content to ower sie this … sawe that he man do alytill for his honowris cawis 1651 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 124.
They wer content to superceid the wptaking of the said soume wpone our said good cariadge and if thair sould be no new miscariadge they wold owersie it altogidder

8. reflex. To fail to see what is fitting for one to do; to forget oneself, go too far; to act unbecomingly; to fall into error, err, blunder.Also b. passive, to be oversene, to have forgotten oneself or acted unbecomingly. 1563 Davidson Answer (W.S.) 249.
That he hes oversene himself in the expositione of this terme ‘us’ Ib. 257.
I have schawin ȝow quhow ȝe haue far ouersene ȝour self in this buik 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 96.
Bot that he in sa far ovirsaw himself that he consentit to bring hame my lordis of Murray [etc.] … without consent … of our souerane ladie 1581 Hamilton Cath. Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 91/14.
Brethrene sen sa is that I haue ouersene my self and the tyme is almaist spent 1585 Cal. Sc. P. VIII. 75.
That she vald never haif beleved that the King [etc.] … vald haif so far oversein themselves as to writt one day to hir that suche and suche matters sald be performed, and on the nixt day … they vald thein overthraw the same 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 27.
That he had ovirseine himselff in his yre … aganis the said Patrik in speiking outragious wordis aganis him 1617 Ritchie Ch. S. Baldred 166.
[They] confessit they had overseine themselfis and done amiss in not coming to the kirk at that tyme 1623 Crim. Trials III. 551. c1630 Scot Narr. 320.
[He] thought he had overseen himselfe and wished this third point had been omitted which he bewrayed by the scraping with his naill 1646 Grant Chart. 240.
Ouerseineb. 1563 Cal. Sc. P. II. 77.
[The Protestants only lamented that the Queen of England should be] so overseyne to send from her suche slaunder