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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
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Poke, Poik, Polk, Pok, n. Also: poike, poyk(e; poilk; pouk; pook(e, poolke; pokk-, pock(e; poak. [ME (c 1300) and e.m.E. poke, late ME (Prompt. Parv.) and north. e.m.E. pooke, e.m.E. poake (1615), north. e.m.E. pokke (1599), pocke (1625), ONF poke (13–14th c. in Godef.), poque (14th c. in Tobler-Lomm.), pouque (1326 in Godef.), MDu. poke (1302), Anglo-L. poka.The nature of the relationships with ONorthumb. pocca, appar. var. of OE pohha, and with Ir. póca, Gael. pòca, poca, is unclear; cf. also Icel. poke (13th c.).]

1. A bag or small sack.In commercial use appar. sometimes as a more or less definite measure of a commodity, smaller than a sack; also half-poke.In the phrase pok, pak and barrel, embracing all the various possible methods of packaging, = however packed.Also as the second element of numerous collocations in which the first element specifies the contents of the bag or the material of which it is made, as e.g. draf, geill, madder, malt, oyster, pouder, salt, sand, woll etc. poke and hardin, ledder, ledderin, letherin poke, qq.v. under the first elements.Also collect. and ? plur., without inflexion.(1) 1328 Exch. R. I 117.]
[In quinque vlnis canubii, factis in pokis, pro speciebus cariandis(a) 1477 Aberd. B. Rec. I 408.
Ane vly barel, a poke, threttene knappold 1501 Treas. Acc. II 24.
For … Bertane cammes … to be tua pokis to bere it [powder] furth 1505 Ib. III 166.
For ij pokis to put laverokis in 1558 Ib. X 436; 1564–5 Ib. XI 349. 1565 Instit. Ct. Sess. 4 a.
And ane certane of the aduocattis servandis with thair pokis as salbe namit and permittit be the lordis 1593 Acts IV 30/1.
How … proffitable the schurling skynnis ar for … making of pokis lyning powchis gluiffis [etc.] 1601 Cal. Sc. P. XIII App. 1142.
I mad my man steil to me von of the sogers pokis vith pouder(b) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 12193.
Ane pellane sadill … Stuffit with strea and thareon cassin ane poik [: cloik] 1531–2 Treas. Acc. VI 22.
vij elnis of kanves to be ane alb, and ane poik to the challece 1541–2 Ib. VIII 50.
For gold to be pasmentis to the cover and poyk [of the book] 1582 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 149.
Thre ellis saiking to be poikis to beir the lyme 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 33.
To aucht wemen for bearing up of … lyme and sand … in poikis 1641 Edinb. Test. LIX 286.
Leather poutches and littill poikis for keeping of letteris(c) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 147 (B).
Ȝe gang With polkis to mylne and beggis baith meill and schilling 1520 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 198.
In the weying of ilk polk and sek ourheid iiij d. 1524 Wigtown B. Ct. 157 b.
Scading him of ane sek & ane polk at vald tak a boll of corne 1539 Treas. Acc. VII 161.
For vj quarteris of grene velvot to be ane cover to ane gret mating buke of the kingis grace … and to be ane polk till keip the samin in Ib.
For making of the knoppis and stringis to the said polk and making of the polk and covering thairto 1543 Ib. VIII 190. 1549–50 Ib. IX 374.
For ane furlat of quheit and ane polk to put it in 1567 Acts III 43/1.
That nane be fund careand veschell priuatlie in polkis wallattis or vtherwyis 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 166.
Quhilks the deponar knew to be pulder, because the same wes in sundry polks within the said … tronk 1571 Treas. Acc. XII 274.
For twa grit polkis to carie pulder 1577 Ib. XIII 184. 1578 Inv. Q. Mary lxxi. 1580 Treas. Acc. MS 28.
Ane blak marikin skyn to be ane polk to keip his hienes braid into 1584 Glasgow B. Rec. I 111.
[Incomers entering illegally] thair creillis, polkis and laid sadillis to be brunt 1591–5 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 125.
Ane polk with foure newkis 1597 Crim. Trials II 25.
A lytill polk of blak plading quhairin was sum pickellis of quheit [etc.] 1611 Scrymgeour Invent. 13.
Ressavit out of the polk of the chaiplanreis and mortificatioun of St. Michaell 1622-6 Bisset II 134/19.
The … kirkman gatt seasing … be deliverance of the foirsaid erde and stane that wes knit or festned in ane littill polk(d) 1632 Monteith Stewartry Ct. 26 July.
As for the pryce of tua seckis and ane pouk(e) a1578 Pitsc. II 111/22.
For to fill thair baggis and pookis witht money 1612 Edinb. Test. XLVII 146 b.
Ane pook with caddes pryce thairof iiij li. 1614 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 219.
He send to me … out off his maiesties wardroppe ane brodered poolke for carieing the greate seale 1638 Baillie I 82.
With the seales … hung about his neck in a pooke 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 11.
For … harne to be pookis(f) 1498 Aberd. Pynours 25.
That ilkan berar of girnal gudis have ane bande fast at thar pok and that the pok be knett and closit or it cum out the … bot burd 1515 Edinb. Hammermen 86.
vij quarteris canwes to be ane pok to the greit tortis xviij d 1540 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 226.
Ane rychtuis gavill end quhairby he and his may haif ushe and enteray with laid pok sek slaid and uther tursabyll geir 1590 St. A. B. Ct. 8 April.
Ane pok ane sok 1614 Conv. Burghs II 445.
That the balasting … be ether with sand or chingell in poks 1640 Household Bk. M. Stewart 40.
To ane skinner for mending the pok that carrys my laidy's night graithe 1658 Sc. Ant. IX 51.
Margret Tailȝeor with ane long rok … and the bony las with the blak pok a1688 Wallace Orkney 41.
Here they make no use of poks and saiks but [etc.](g) 1581 Treas. Acc. MS 55 (2) b.
Bukrame tobe twa pockis to his grace buittis 1600 Ib. 123 b.
Pockis for carying of his maiesteis breid to the feildis furnissing of knyiffis and forkis 1604 Dundonald Par. Rec. 57.
Ane expert leich … gaif to hir … ane littill pock to hing about hir crag 1641-8 Skipper's Acc. (Smettone) 8. a1651 Calderwood V 736.
And their heads sent in a pocke to Edinburgh 1662 Highland P. III 8.
That they put a pock with witchcraft under his bed and a catt to effectuat the samine 1676 Corshill Baron Ct. 132.
Ane long pocke pertaineing to Johne Boyd, cordoner 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1751) 118.
You valu'd puddings sod in pocks More than religion orthodox 1698 Laurencekirk 355.
And had filled his pock full of meal which he had taken out of a sack then standing there 1700 McKay Kilmarnock 60.
[The Earl of Kilmarnock gave a grant to the town of the whole common good, comprehending] shops under the tolbooth thairof, the weights pocks and measures, the troan and weights thairof 1701 Brand Orkney & Shetl. 153.
Above the hooks [on the line] there is also a pock fastened, and so … they let down the line thus furnished with pock and hooks, striking the heads of the young fowls in their nests with the pock(2) 1447 Dundee Chart. 24.
And of al vthir thingis pok pak and barel proporcionable answerand to the serplare and the twn 1458 Reg. Great S. 143/1. 1482 Edinb. Chart. 167.
Baith polk, pak and barell(3) 1417 Exch. R. IV 276.]
[Habuerunt unam pocam lane 1418 Exch. R. IV 300.
Duo sarpellaria et j pok lane … , j poke lane … , ij pokis lane(a) c1420 Bute MS. fol. 170 b.
Of a poke of wol 14.. Edinb. B. Rec. I 240.
Of a poke woll, ij d. 1474 Acta Aud. 31/1.
j cark of alum j poke of mader 1497 Halyb. 134. 1591 St. A. B. Ct. 29 March.
The pryc of thre pokis of waid(b) 1488 Treas. Acc. I 85.
A poik of lauender 1490–1 Dundee B. Ct. MS I 166 b (14 Jan.).
Of the poyk of maddyr that wes in pley 1492 Prot. Bk. J. Young (S.R.S.) IV 122.
Poike 1578 Inv. Q. Mary lxxi.
Ane quhite poik of greit chas men of bane 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 233.
Ane littill poik of capprous weyand skars thrie stane 1624 Ib. LII 233.
Thrie poikis of houpe(c) 1525 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 224.
For the custome of vj polkis of woll 1546 Reg. Privy C. I 40.
[531] polkis alias ballis of waid 1550 Treas. Acc. IX 426.
Tua gret polkes of annat sedis 1564 Reg. Privy C. I 308.
Twa lytill polkis of ginger 1603 Comm. Univ. I (Edinb.) App. 19.
In primis, of all polkis, pakkis and barrellis of guiddis, ilk twn, of fremen of Edinburgh, foure penneis 1677 R. Brown Paisley I 293.
Ilk polk of yairn that exceeds not 4 spennels, to pay 4 d.(d) 1625 Conv. Burghs III 198.
Ane ball mader, four stuires; ane pook brissell, fyve grit; ane pook houp, four grit(e) 1468 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I 23.
Off ane pok wald 1495 Exch. R. X 536.
j serplario pellium Thome Barnys, j pok pellium Johanni Bathcat 1497 Halyb. 83.
8 sekis and a pok and 3 pakis off clath 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 326.
And nyne pokkis meill and malt 1623 Brechin Test. IV 107.
Ane pok vaid pryce xxxvj lib. 1668–9 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 566.
For ane pak and ane pok of wooll(f) 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 171.
The pockis of wooll and packis of skynis … they tuke them for a butie 1588 Dundee Shipping L. 223, 224.
Ten pokis waid … , xlvj pokis waid [etc.] … , ane pok waid … , ane pock of waid … ane pock waid 1632 Justiciary Cases I 200.
Thieves … thiftiouslie cuttit and brak up ane grit pock or pak of hemp perteining to the said Johnne Stevinstoun 1646–7 Dumbarton Common Good Acc. 154.
Ane pocke of corne to the visiters horse 1654 Wemyss in Sc. Diaries 126.
Any pocks of stoune [= stolen] colles 1662 Highland P. III 10.
To put a pock of witchcraft under Mr. John Stewart minister his bed 1685 Inverness Customs MS 2 b.
A pock Brazilleto wood(4) collect. 1498 Halyb. 149.
For paking off the 3 pok 1546 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. II 126.
Hemp to be sawld in polk 1582 Perth B. Ct. 13 Sept.
Certane polk wald(5) 1571 Canongate Ct. Bk. 328.
For ane half pok wad 1571 Reg. Privy C. II 97.
Twa half polkis of waid c1575 Balfour Pract. 88.
Twentie half pokkis wad is ane tun 1583 Perth B. Ct. 27 April.
The said half polk vald arreistit in his handis 1644 Aberd. Journal N. & Q. III 83.
Ane pook of mealle of the paroche … evyre plouche giv[ing] him halff pock about(6) 1488 Treas. Acc. I 80.
In a poik of canwes beand within the said coffre of angell nobilis sevin hundreth and fyfti angelis Ib. 91.
Poyke 1582–3 Perth B. Ct. 15 Feb.
Ane polk of hardin 1597 Crim. Trials II 25.
A lytill polk of blak plading(7) 1531 Bell. Boece I 194.
Berand with hir the powder of thair fader, in ane goldin poke 1595 Argyll Acc. 2 Jan.
Ane gret ledran pok to put the medope in 1612 Misc. Maitl. C. III 114.
The maister of Fenton … cairied the commission in ane reid veluot poke 1625 Edinb. Test. LIII 17.
Ane ledder poike full of quhyt medum(8) 1496 Treas. Acc. I 294.
xij powdir pokis of leddir to the gunnaris 1506–7 Ib. III 376.
For ane ged pok to turs ane ged to Edinburgh 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. I 176.
Ane bark pok 1547 Misc. Bann. C. III 288.
My obligations … ar in ane of my cofers in a blak letter poke cheyngit 15.. Lord Fergus' Gaist 29.
Ane woll poik 1645 Peebles Gleanings 252.
For nyne quarteris hardin to be a multure poke 1704 Cramond Kirk S. MS V 123.
A mortcloath pocke(9) 1549 Compl. 41/28.
Boitis man, bayr stanis & lyme pottis ful of lyme in the craklene [? crane-line, ? crank-line] pokis to the top 1676 Corshill Baron Ct. 135.
Three paire of new shoes … with ane cordoner pock

b. comb. and attrib.Poke-berar, -man, a ‘bag-carrier’, ‘bag-man’, porter. Poke-pudden, a bag-pudding, dumpling. Poke-mercat, ? the wool-market.(1) 1629 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 294, etc.
To the barrowmen and pokbeiraris to drink, xxiiij s. a1651 Calderwood III 633.
The poke-bearers began to crie, ‘Aha, carle, hoy away!’ — 1679 Torry Coal & Salt Wks. 22 a.
To pock holders and salt breakers at 1 d. 5 the boll Ib. 25 a.
To pock holders, … to leaders and metsters to drink — 1583 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 303.
Leith, stingmen, polkmen and metters … .Anent the polkmen, off ilk boll of quheitt [etc.] … for setting on the schoir, ane penny 1596 Ib. V 165.
That na warkmen, pyoners, polkmen, or stingmen tak upoun hand to cary … the saidis guidis to the saidis schips 1605 Irons Leith II 62.
David King, pokman 1659 Dundee B. Laws 156.
[Deacon of the] pockmen 1664 Nicolson Diurnals 27 Feb.
To the pokmen for 200 bolls bier carrying to Geo. Black his boat according to 12 d. per boll(2) Poke-nuke (see c below). — 1668 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 10 Nov.
The firlots and pecks of the beir, ait, malt and pock mercats are sett to Robert Smyth for the yeir to come — 1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 4.
Here's wheat-meal and sewet, we'll have a poak-puddin, Put a nief full of prunes in

c. In proverbs and sayings.Also attrib. in poke-nuke.(1) c1590 Fowler II 34/23.
To win a baronie of land ȝe wil find out ma goleinȝeis then a poke wil had a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 494.
It is kindlie that the poke sare [= savour] of the hearine Ib. No. 775.
Sairie be your meil poke, and ay your neive in the nook of it Ib. (1706) 290.
Pock a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 975.
I tint my pok and my meil at the dansing Ib. No. 1029.
Lat the sek beir the poke Ib. No. 1263.
Quhat think ye of that poke and it had a string?(2) 1584 Sempill Sat. P. xlv 661.
(Bot menstrallis [etc.]) Got nichel [v.r. Mitchell] in ane old poke nuke a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1242.
Pikill in your awin poke nuke

2. A beggar's bag.Used for collecting meal or the like given in charity. 1685 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World 124.
She giving the rogue fair words, and promising him his pock full of meal, with beaf and cheese

3. transf. a. A baggy or puffed out part of or addition to a sleeve. 1429 Acts II 18/2.
That … centynnal ȝemen in lordis housis … sal haf narow slewis & litil pokis and … that the commonis wifis … wer … na pokis on thar slefis na costly curches

b. A bag-net or poke-net. Also pock-nett.Perh., as in recent times, applied to different sorts of net in different localities.Also sandeil(l)-polk, see Sand-ele n. attrib.(1) 1579 Acts III 147/1.
All … that distroyis the smoltis and fry of salmond in myln dammis or be polkis, creillis, trammelnettis, and hery watteris 1597 Ib. IV 138/2.
[That they] sall not slay onie salmound fische in forbiddin tyme with cobill net speir wand creill pock or [etc.] 1610 Reg. Privy C. VIII 730.
[That he will not slay any fish in the water of Tyne by] arkis, pockis, creillis [etc.] 1642 Aberd. Council Lett. II 347.
Nettis, creillis, herrie watter pockis or any uther ingyne for fishing of salmond(2) 1693 Stirling B. Rec. II 68.
That pretended right of the Lady Alvas to fish with pock netts 1695 Ib. 76.
How prejudiciall the fishing by pock and herrie water netts hes bein to the tounes interest 1698 Acts X 149/1.
Salmond fishing or other fishing … in the river of Forth … with pocknets, herry water nets or [etc.]

c. ? A loosely hanging extension or appendage to a hat. d. ? Applied to a similarly shaped hood or hat as a whole.See also, for further examples (1641, 1643), Luve n. 3 c.c. c 1614 1st Rep. Hist. MSS. 137.
Ane exceiding fyne gray felt hait withe ane poik of gray tafetie and ane gray cyperis band weill imbrowderit 1647 Caldwell P. I 99.
Ane ruch hatt with a taffettie pock … for another demie hatt wyth hatt band and pock 1656 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 498.
For a Dutch hat and pock 10 l. 1656–7 Fam. Rose 368.
For a graye Dutch hat with pock and string 1660 Bk. Dunvegan I 187.
Pok 1661–3 Old Ross-shire I 143. 1664 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp in Misc. Maitl. C. II 508.
For dressing the old hatt and for pock and string, 03 00 00 1682 5th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 610/1.
[Earl of Aberdeen, Chancellor] for a pock to my lords hatt, 7 s. 10 d. 1690 Foulis Acc. Bk. 126.
For dressing my hat and a pock to itd. 1632 14th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. III 235.
Ane nicht pok of blew, imbroderit with gold 1643 Edinb. Test. LX 234.
Aucht crowned taffettie hudis … tuentie sex littell love poikis … xx lib. xvj s … .fowr ȝellow courned [sic] poikis 1646 Ib. LXII 128 b.
Nyne pocks or huids estimat all to xiij lib. 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. i 83.
Like gilliwetfoots purging states By papers thrown in pocks or hats