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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.

Rost, Roist, v. Also: roste; royst; ros. P.t. also (rvistit). P.p. also rosten, ? -ing; rossin. [ME and e.m.E. roste(n (1297), earlier rostien (c1290), OF rostir (c1155 in Larousse).] 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Torreo, torrefacio, to rost, to tost

1. tr. To cook (meat, also other foods) before or at a fire to make them ready for eating. 1375 Barb. vii 153.
Thai … slew fyr for to rost thar mete Ib. 165.
And thai rostyt in hy thar mete 1456 Hay II 137/14.
Syk maneris of fleschis, quhilkis quhen men rostis thame thai ar hate and dry a1500 Prestis of Peblis 22 (Asl.).
Quhill thar caponis war rostit lym & lyre c1500 Rowll Cursing 114 (B).
Geis and caponis rostit hait 1513 Doug. v ii 117.
Sum othir … the colis het … to royst in threyt The raw spaldis a1540 Freiris Berw. 137.
This fair wyfe … thristit on fatt caponis to the speit, … Syne bad the madin … To flawme, and turne, and rost thame tenderly 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 42 (B).
Sittand on ȝule evin … Rostand straberries at ane fyre of snaw 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I 143.
Thow … tuik out thrie grippis out of the middist of the said schulder [of mutton] and causit rost the same c1650 Spalding I 51.
Sum thay saltit, sum thay rvistit, and sum thay eitit freshe 1666-7 Blakhall Narr. 106.
Leacheston did cal for Finden hadocks … ; the mistres did give four to her servand to roste and bring to us

b. To expose to heat for a prolonged period to produce one or more of the secondary effects of cooking, as extraction of juices, etc. 1591 Crim. Trials I ii 245.
The dewill … ordenit hir … to hing, roist and drop ane taid a1595 Misc. Spald. C. II xxx.
Tak ane onyeoun and rost weill [etc.] … or tak surrakis and rost thame in an dokane and la thame to the byile 1597 Crim. Trials II 29.
Scho baid him get a grene gwise … and put the kitlingis in the guise wambe and roist the samyn and with the juse and drippingis to rub him 1616 Orkney & Shetl. Ct. Bk. in Misc. Maitl. C. II 188.
Tak ane eg and ros [pr. rost] it and tak the swee [pr. sweit] of it … and … wash her eyes

c. Of witches: To expose an image of wax or the like to heat in order to cause damage or destruction to, or by, it. 1535 Stewart 35847.
He mycht … se This old carling vpone ane speit of tre, Of walx ane image rostand at the fyre c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 329.
He was troublet als be incantatioun of wytches, quhilk roistit him in walx, and hade greit infirmite thairthrow 1591 Crim. Trials I ii 245.
The dewill … promesit to giff it [supra ane pictour] … to be roistit 1662 Ib. III 605.
We laid the face of it [sc. a clay image of a child] to the fyre, till it strakned … we wold rost it now and then; each other day ther wold be an peice of it weill rosten Ib. 612.
It [supra the pictur] vold be a litle wat with water, and then rosten 1666 Lanark Presb. 106.
That shoe rostit ane lege of the devill everie day 1677 Lauder Notices Affairs I 143.
[Pollock] whom they [sc. witches] rosted by a lent fyre with images of wax and clay

2. To expose (a person) to excessive heat in order to torture, consume, or overheat him. Also fig. a1400 Leg. S. xxii 484.
[They] ware forwondryt thane, That he gert sa rost a quyk man c1420 Wynt. v 2425.
Kyndyll he gert [be] a gret fyre, And thare-on rostyd Saynct Laurens c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 123.
He that rostit Lawarance had thy grunȝe a1538 Abell 11a.
He maid ane buyll of bras … sa men and wemen rostit inwith thai criyt with woce of buyll 1551 R. Brown Paisley I 212.
Devill stick, cummer, gor, roist or ryfe theme, and sic uthers ugsum aithis and execretionis 1596–7 Misc. Spald. C. I 85.
Fast bedseik … the ane half of the day rossin in his bodye, as gif he hed bene rossin in ane vne, with ane extreme birnand drowchtfig. 1639 Baillie I 208.
Before we would be rosted with a lent-fyre by the hands of churchmen … we were resolute … to gett a gripp of some of these who had first kindled the fyre

b. intr. To undergo exposure to a fire.In quot. 1644, perh. a p.p., and so merely a further instance of 2 above.1569-73 Bann. Memor. 64 (see Rost n. 1 c). 1644 Justiciary Cases III 641.
Tormented … with continuall sweitting and burneing heat, as gif scho had bene rosting befoir ane fyre

3. absol. or intr. To carry out the process of roasting. See also 2 b above.proverb. Ferg. a1598 Prov. MS No. 1164.
Rost upon runges