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 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

(Polis,) Polise, Police, Poleis, v. P.t. and p.p. polist, poleist, polyst, pollist; polisit; policed. [ME (chiefly north. and north midl.) polis (Cursor M.), -ys(e, -yce, -ise, ME and e.m.E. polis(c)h(e (14th c.), pulis(c)he (c 1400), ME (c 1400) and late ME pul(s)che, polshe, F. poliss- lengthened stem of polir, L. polīre. (Cf. also Police v.).] tr. To polish.

1. To make smooth and glossy by friction.p.p. c1420 Wynt. iii 938.
A bull off bras … Polyst fayre and rycht fetys c1475 Wall. vii 1197.
The byrnes that polyst was full brycht 1513 Doug. vii x 60.
And sum polist scharp speir hedis of steill To mak thame brycht with fat creisch or same a1568 Bann. MS. 227 b/19.
Hir pawpis till perle ar peir, Perfyt and poleist new a1585, a1568 Montg. P. i 68.
Hir lillie lyire … Bayth brichter and tichter Then marbre poleist cleinpres. t. 1578 Inverness Rec. I 263.
Deliverit him my sourd to poleis and dycht in his awin hand 1602 Colville Paraenese 115.
As if the auner [of a precious stone] the more to scheu the bonte and beaute tharof suld polise and inchas it in pure gold

2. fig. a. To beautify, adorn.? Only in p.p.: cf. Polist ppl. adj. 2 a. a1500 Henr. III 157/26.
O ladeis quhyt, in claithis corruscant, Poleist with perle, and mony pretius stane a1500 K. Hart 5.
So proudlie wes he polist plane and pure With ȝouthheid and his lustie levis grene 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1917.
Of sardanis, of iasp and smaragdane Traistis, formis and benkis war poleist [L. pollist] plane

b. To refine, enhance, make more elegant. 1562-3 Winȝet II 59/30.
That the auld doctrine … be proces of tyme be labourit, trimmit, and polisit Ib. 60/28.
Gif ony thingis be techit of auld and begun, that it mot set out and polise the samin 1596 Dalr. I 105/12.
For as doctrine … hes our myndes manured … elegancie hes policed [L. poliuit] our maners