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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Recounter, -ir, v. Also: -countre, -cownt(t)er, -ir, -re. [Late ME (1455) and e.m.E. recounter, f. re- and Counter v. Cf. Reconter v., Rancounter v.]

1. tr. To meet or engage (an enemy) in battle or in single combat; to attack or counter-attack; to resist with force.Also with non-material object.(1) c1420 Wynt. iv 1402.
The Affrykanys … Recowntryd [C. Recowntterit] thame dispytwysly Wytht schyppys thre hundyr Ib. 1420.
The Frankis men … Made thame off newe thare-for to ryde Agayne the Romanys, bot thai Recowntryd thame in gud aray Ib. viii 5723.
Thai fand stowt portaris thare-at That thame recowntryd sturdely 1513 Doug. xii xiv 2 (Ruddim.), etc. 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 49.
The citeȝanis … maid thame, quhill thai mycht, to recounter thair inymyis Id. Livy I 137/24.
Brutus … & Aruns … , recountering vther in singulare batall, war baith slane Ib. 162/12.
The Romanis … with new curage recounterit thare inemyis Ib. 217/17.
Thir Veanis laid ane strang garnison … in secrete glennys to recounter the Fabis 1533 Boece 310.
Crawis and rukis … recounterit corbeis in batell 1574 Reg. Privy C. II 377.
[Two ships] wer in thair dew cours recounterit and takin be a schip of weir(2) c1420 Wynt. ix 3224.
The awaward … To recountir [St. A. recownttir] the first perile, First than entrit in the pres a1599 Rollock Wks. II 39.
The taking of the Lord … recounters and meets our taking by the devil and death

2. To meet by chance, to come across. 1456 Hay I 227/5.
He passis fra his company … him allane but company, and sa is recounterit be a knycht of Fraunce 1600 Crim. Trials II 210.
It chaunced him … there, by accident … to have recountred a base like fellow 1662 Sel. Biog. I 431.
It was my lot to recounter one of the English

3. To offer, or give, a counter-pledge. = Reconter v. c. 1429 Acts II 18/1.
Quhare twa partiis apperis at the bar and the tane strek a borgh apone a weir of law the tother party sal haf leif to be avisit … quhether he wil recounter [v.r. in Bisset III 54 n. recountre] it or nocht. … Ande gif he recounteris the borgh, & strenthis it with resonis [etc.] 1686 Mackenzie Observ. 25.
The meaning of this Act [of 1429] is that if the pursuer be forc'd to find caution, to answer as law will, he may force the defender to recounter it; that is to say, to find caution also

4. intr. To meet or come together in battle; to attack each other. 1533 Boece 45.
Saying or thai recounterit in batell ane commonyng was nedeful Ib. 45b. Ib. 467b.
Skantlie war the branchis devodit and the armyis recounterit quhen Makbeth … fled a1578 Pitsc. I 24/12.
Baith the pairteis wald reteir and rest thame … and recounter againe at the sound of the trumpat Ib. 234/25.
Quhilk efterwart gat new speiris and recounterit freischelie againe

5. To recounter with. a. To clash with in battle. b. To meet by chance. = 2 above.Cf. e.m.E., in this sense (once, 1583).a. a1500 Lanc. 2956.
He … with the first has recounterit so, That … Boith hors and man is lying in the feldb. 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 3.
One Turners, a Scotsman, wheir I lay that night and wheir I recountred with several of our countrimen