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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.

Rewine, Ruine, -yn(e, n. Also: rewing, -ynd, -ene; reuine, -yne, -ing; rewvine, -yne; ruing, -eyn, rwine, -yn(e, -en, ruuyn(e, ruvyne, ruyine, ruwyne, ruiyne; rowin(e, -yne, -ing, -yng, -ane. [ME and e.m.E. ruyne, ruen (both Chaucer), OF ruine (c1155 in Larousse), L. ruīna, f. ruere to fall.]Freq. in such phrs. as bring to rewine, put to rewine, ga to rewine, etc., see esp. 2 and 7 below.

1. Of a structure: The act, or fact, of falling down or collapsing. a1400 Leg. S. i 554.
The towne At he defendit had fra skath … and fra ruyne bath Ib. xv 163.
A part of it fel done, … & thai that chapit that ruyne, Fled to the tempil Apolyne 1513 Doug. viii iv 18.
Quhar as the craggy quhynnys dovn declyne Has drawyn of the hill a huge rewyne 1571 Crail B. Ct. MS 1 June.
The rowyng and downe fallyng of the bulwark and peir 1609 Glasgow Chart. II 573.
Rueyn 1618 Ib. I ii 300.
The brig of … Glasgow … being … verie fer decayit and at the poynte of ruyne 1686 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 11.
By the occasione of the rewine of the peir the harbour is decayed

b. Material deterioration. a1578 Pitsc. I 112/26.
Thair is nothing … stabill bot all thing subiect to ruine and decay

2. The condition (of a material thing) consequent upon its falling down or collapsing.Only in the phr. to (vnto, into) rewine.Cf. 7 below, with which there may be some ambiguity. 1513 Doug. ix iii 146.
The twa Atrydes that Troy to rewyne brocht Ib. xii x 142.
The cite syne, That semyt brocht onto fynall ruyne 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece II 462.
Maist terribill flambis, bringand gret townis and bigingis to uter rewine 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 151.
The convent and place quhare God suld be daylie honourit and servit gais clene to rewyne 1562 Edinb. B. Deeds 55.
The said land quhilk is like be all apperance of craftismen … to fall … to vtter revyne 1658 Orkney Rentals App. 59. 1659 Ib. App. 48.
And now since the samein [church] is lyklie to go to reuine throw the tempestous weather hes bein the last winter

b. What is left after collapse or destruction; ruins. 1471 Ayr B. Ct. 22 April.
& that the said Alexander sal mak wp agayn the rowane of the ȝat the qwhilk he has mad apon the said priour als gude as it was qwhen he brak it done & made the ȝat

3. A ruined, or ruinous, building. 1533 Boece 52.
The signis of the samyn quhare it stude and the rewyne [sc. Castle Urquhart] … ar richt wounderfull to consider 1568 Buch. Indict. 40.
That it ves ane rowine vnganand to haif lugit ane prince in to

b. pl. The remains of a decayed or fallen building, town, etc. 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 67.
Betwene the ruynes of twa tempillis 1611-57 Mure Dido & Æneas i 101.
Troy … Whose ruines poore … low in ashes lye 1623 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 282.
Wiseting the haill pairtis of the said college, … and directit the ruingis and decayit pairtis thairof to be helpit

4. pl. Damage done to a place or (part of) a building.Const. of the place, or without const. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 284.
He desyred all men to considder thair works and specialie the rewingis of Edinburgh 1579 Reg. Privy S. VII 306/1.
And schawing … the faultis and apperand rewyndis of the windois, sclaittis, thak and wallis 1619 Perth Kirk S. MS 1 Nov.
To schaw the sessioun of the rwynis of the stipill that they micht concure to the reparatioun thairof 1633 Macgibbon & Ross V 552.
To show them the ruynes that had fallin out thair be the great storme of wind

5. The destruction (of anything); devastation.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xi 448.
Thai war … ful of yre … of the ruyne wes thare mad Of thare goddis c1400 Troy-bk. ii 245 (C).
Of the cite not dredand The distructioune or ruyne 1513 Doug. iii vii 10.
O thou Anchis, that … twys eschapit of Troy the sayr rewyne c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3828.
Jerusalem, Quhose rewyne wes most miserabyll. … Wes neuer, in erth, cetie nor toun, Gatt sic extreme distructioun 1566–7 Reg. Privy C. I 498.
Sum utheris that throw the rewyne of the hous wer oppressit, and sum … preservit 1646 Aberd. Council Lett. III 61.
The utter rewine and desolation of thair said burghe(2) 1490 Irland Mir. I 120/21.
Lat nocht, mychtty lord, this hevinly place stand in ruyne 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece I x.
My landis braid … na furius ire Nor … fire Nor bitter deith may bring unto rewine c1590 Fowler I 121/92.
I sie the world wrack is cumed and rwine is begun 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 143/283.
The cruelltie, the horroure, the destruction & ruyne … The bloodie futesteppes of his oist indomptid follouing keipis

6. A downfall or ruin; a fall from grace, position, wealth, etc. a. Of the fall of man or the angels. b. Of a person, community, nation, etc. c. fig. Of a non-material thing.a. 1490 Irland Mir. I 148/10.
To hire self sche wane the hevinly grace; to the angellis, the reparacioun of thare ruyne Ib. II 41/29. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 3462 (Ch.).
Quhen angels fell, thair miserabil ruyne Was never restorit c1552 Id. Mon. 864.
Efter my rude ingyne, I sall rehers thé that rewyneb. 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece II 25.
Dreidand the rewine of Britane, gif the Scottis and Pichtis war nocht haistely repressit Id. Livy I 69/29.
Rome began thus ilk day to rise mare and mare in policy and riches be rewyne of Alba 1535 Stewart 49848.
Thair lichlines … Suld be the caus of thair rewene and fall 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 22.
Sic thingis as seme … to redound to … rewyne of the haill commoun weill of Scotland a1578 Pitsc. I 44/26.
That saifgaird it self, albeit it wald could not preserue this man from destructioun and rewvyne Ib. 51/26.
Rewvine 1583 Pittenweem Ann. 7.
We have sustained great hurt … and are like to sustain still further to the extreme rewine and dekay of our touns and free ports 1590 Conv. Burghs I 338.
Ane act … apperandlye tendand to the rewing of the … induellaris and merchandis 1622-6 Bisset I 54/32.
Quhen kingis … governis nocht be guid counsall … they wirk thair awin uthir rewyne 1638 Hamilton P. (Camden Soc.) 5.
Thatt I will be the reuing of countrie(b) c1545 St. A. Univ. Rec. xxi.
Sene it hes bene the principall vniuersite … within this realme, nocht to thoile it … to gange tu vter distructioun & ruvyne 1549 Compl. 80/17.
The miserabil ruynis that God sendis on vrangus conquestours Ib. 170/30.
The mair eleuat that ane person be …, his fal & ruuyn sal be the hauyar 1567 Sat. P. iv 27.
Quhilk now is cause of my rakles ruyne 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 398.
Thay consultit how thay suld best sustene thair kingdome inclynand to ruyne, quhilk laitlie had gottin sa publict ane wound 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 58.
Being ane quhome the ruyne of his awin decayit familie prickit fordwart heidlang to mischeif a1578 Pitsc. I 20/7.
He wysched na thing mair nor the rwine of Lord Crichtounis hous, and his posteritie rutit out alutterlie Ib. 20/19.
Ruwyne Ib. 87/4.
Rvine Ib. 276/17.
Rwen 1584 Acts III 325/2.
That they may be … preseruit from vtter rving and perditioun c1590 Fowler I 196/7.
Ruiyne 1598 Liber Coll. Glasg. p. lxxv.
Of that applyment the said college … suld ressave evidentlie rwyne 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I 210.
The fall and ruyne of the merchand estait a most profitabill member of the commoun welthe 1630-1651 Gordon Geneal. Hist. 96.
Bot ambition hastens rwyn 1631 Justiciary Cases I 161.
The samyn could nevir haif wrocht … the laird of Pitcaple his rwyne ather in lyf estait name fame or fortoun 1638 Nat. Covenant in Facs. Nat. MSS III xcvii.
The subversion and ruine of the true reformed religion 1646 Baillie II 383.
I see nothing bot ruine for poor Scotland(c) 1611 Reg. Panmure I xxxvi.
Thear arays swme debait … quhilk cawsit ane gryt wrak and rowine of the hows and wos the only caws of the selline of … Glaster and Carnegy 1639 Maxwell Mem. II 268.
It shall twrn to ther own rowin in the end 1684 Dundee B. Laws 451.
And ane ewedent tokn of ther eternall rowing without repentancc. 1494 Loutfut MS 6b.
And the said office wes put to richt gret ruyne and amast to rycht nocht c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 286.
That hir honour distres thoill nor ruine 1584 Acts III 369/1.
To the greit hurt and detriment of the patrimonie and rowin of his croun 1611-57 Mure Historie … of Rowallane 252.
The totall rwine of his fortoune 1672 Edinb. B. Rec. X 114.
It wald tend to the uther rowine [pr. rownie] of the trad of tobaco

d. A disaster or catastrophe. 1549 Compl. 68/19.
Sche vas in grite dout … for ane mair dolorus future ruuyne that vas aperand to succumb hyr

e. ? Some sort of curse, calling down loss or disaster on the person cursed. c1450-2 Howlat 909 (A).
Thus leit he no man his peire; Gif ony nech wald him neir, He bad tham rebaldis orere, With a ruyne

7. A condition of utter deprivation, despair, abasement or humiliation. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1317 (Asl.).
Men will abstene fra lustis sensuall … All for this cors [= body] that rakis to rewyne [H. ryvine] 1531 Bell. 1531 Boece I 18.
Oftimes … pepill contending for the superiorite, hes brocht thaimself to miserabill rewine Ib. II 56.
Yoldin and miserabill creaturis, dejeckit to extreme rewine 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1451 (B).
I wyt the Empriour Constantyne, That I am put to sic rewyne 1549 Compl. 166/26.
It is na meruel that ȝour cuntre cum to ruuyne and desolatione 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 154.
The … dulefull houre Of Floudoun feild … That royall roy … With infinite nobillis brocht vnto rwyne 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5003.
Or quhat treasure may ony man now tine That strykis thé doun, or puttis thé to ruine? 1570 Leslie 300.
The … principallis of the nobilytie thair howsis and freindis to be put to gret wrak and utter ruyne 1570 Crim. Trials I ii 13.
And hes putt him self thairby to vtter rewyne, hereschip and pouerte a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. 141/31.
No man regairdis renoun in rowyne c1641 Soc. Ant. XXV 57.
To put all the pure creditoris to utter wrack and ruyine 1674 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 14 Dec.
The most pairt of the pet[it]io[ne]rs … will apparentlie be reduced to indubitable povertie and uter rewing

8. An agent that causes decline, overthrow or downfall. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 620.
Sancte Johnne … of al vicis the rwyne 1533 Bell. Livy I 205/20.
For civil seditioun is the onelie poisson and rewyne of all riche cieteis 1548 Misc. Bann. C. III 409.
So that my staying heire at Anwik … will be my heirschip and rwyne extreme