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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.

Round, n. Also: rounde, rownd; ronde; rund; rowne, rownn. [ME and e.m.E. roonde (c1330), rownde (Wyclif), F. rond masc., ronde fem.; Round adj.]

1. A circular pane of glass for a round ‘light’ or window; a circular window. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 375.
To Thomas Peblis, glasin wrycht, for j^c fute of quhite glas … and for vij payntit roundis with chaiplatis 1516 Ib. V 96.
For … glas to the said windo and for j pantit rownd 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 94.
Thre squair peissis thre roundis with thair chaiplatis in the thre lychtis of the inner myd chalmer 1535–6 Ib. 190.
The compt of paintit werk … In flanderis roundis [etc.] … The quhilkis bordouris roundis and squair peces … beand tane of the … new glaissin werk foirsaid [etc.] 1543 Edinb. Guild Ct. 13 Aug.
Deliueris that the said Robert sall clois the thre roundis maid in maner of o in his nether land

2. A tower, or turret, forming part of a larger structure. Also attrib. Cf. Round adj. 2. 1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 33.
For … rauchteris for … the pending of the greit windois … in the ii chalmeris and rowndis Ib. 42.
For the down taking of … the chapel ruyf and sclatis quhar the southeist round of the tour restis 1531–2 Ib. 77.
For ornaill and sargis to the chymnay hedis and roundis about the battelling 1537–8 Ib. 215, etc.
To … sklateris wirkand upone the est round of the croce hous [at Falkland] 1541 Edinb. Guild Ct. 27 May.
The round of his turnpike a1578 Pitsc. I 336/6.
In … everie quarter and nuike thairof [sc. the palace] ane greit round as it had bene ane blokhouse quhilk was loftit and iestit the space of thrie house hight 1582 Treas. Acc. MS 83.
Thecking of ane of the roundis of the towrheid 1584 Perth B. Ct. 4 May.
All and haill that my nethir chalmer nethir stair and rownd thairof in my foir land 1589 Trans. Edinb. Archit. IX 130.
The said Thomas … to … erect and big … ane sufficient and perfite rownd, on ilk syde of the said port, of fyne astlar work 1589–90 Mylne Master Masons 68.
And sall big ane doucat in the north round ellevine fut abone the jesting thairof 1600 Crim. Trials II 180.
This deponar saw his maiestie loukand furth at ane windo of the round 1619 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 278.
The twa turrettis on the heidis of the twa roundis 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 102.
This Edward Windsor … rebuild her [sc. Perth's] walls … With bulwarks, rampiers, rounds, and bastalies 1644 Dundee Chart. 172.
Two roundis to be built upon the steeple c1650 Spalding I 210.
Couragious Johnstoun placeit his few soldiouris … in the roundis of the brig 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II 471.
In the south west round of the heigh pyntit hall 1699 Thanes of Cawdor 393.
They are lykwise to build two kirnalls or rounds seilled over the wall that the gun holl may clenge the futt therof two wayesattrib. 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 28.
To Andro Jaffray for a stane of caik laid to the round heid nixt Elphinstounis tour

b. A rounded recess in a room, partly enclosed by the inner wall of a tower, and sometimes partitioned off to make a separate apartment. 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 186.
The vi lychtis in the said chalmer and rownd Ib.
To the said chalmer twa gret square lychtis and thre othir lychtis in the rownd thairof 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 73.
Lyand in the round in the abbay 1564 Perth B. Ct. 184 (17 Nov.).
Deponis that he wes present in Robert Hanyis foir round 1576 in Bann. Trans. 485.
Quhilk chalmer was ane round within the grit chalmer 1580 Reg. Privy C. III 319.
In the rownd, ane uther moyen of found 1600 Acts IV 206/1.
Lett Andro Henrysoun gang in to the round of the chalmer and I will loik him in 1656 Maxwell Mem. I 361.
In the litle rounde of my bed chamber

c. A curved structure or part of a structure. In round, in a curving or circular form. 1541 Soc. Ant. III 161.
Ane … walter tabill abone the thak on the est gauill of the queir pendit in half round to the said queir 1556–7 Edinb. Old Acc. I 208.
For thre dosoun of wall stanis to the round of the condit

3. A ring or circle of large stones; a stone circle. 1533 Boece 63b.
Certane grete stanys … in cirkill … Ȝit in thir oure dayis ar sene thir roundis of stanys and ar callit the ald templis of goddis Ib.
Quha sall behald thir roundis sall mervell [etc.]

b. A drawing in circular form; a roundel or circle. c1590 Fowler I 100/88.
That Roman bauld who, bounded with a wand, The Syrien king within a rounde to answer did demand

4. In cog and round: A ‘rung’, see Rung n. 3.Cf. e.m.E. rounde = a rung of a ladder (1547). 1577 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 26 March.
The said myllar sall uphald the saidis myllis in cog and round, scait and awise on his expens

5. A globe or sphere. a. ? A pommel. But perh. merely a further early instance of 3 b above. 1508 Treas. Acc. IV 121.
To Will Raa, cultellar, for viij roundis to the kingis suordis

b. The earth. c. The vault of heaven. d. ? Space (cf. Round adj. 11).b. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 12/4.
How the seas owerflowed this massiue round Ib. II 80/14.
Phœbus lightner of this roundec. a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxxi 7.
Aboue the planetis … Behind the … tuinkling round of burning rubies rare, Quhair all the gods thy duelling do desyred. a1585, a1568 Montg. P. v 14.
Sanct Petir … could not find it in all that braid rownn 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 149/2.
The masse confusid of all this round This chaos lourde

6. A dance in which the dancers move in a ring or circle. 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 193.
Sum sang ryng sangis, dansys ledys, and rovndis, With vocis schill Ib. xiii ix 108.
Vpstart Troianys … And gan do … Dansys and rowndis traysyng mony gatis, Athir throu other reland

7. A kind of song sung by two or more singers taking up the tune successively. 1513 Doug. vii ix 85.
The matronys at ȝellit And roundis sang so in thar wilde dotage c1555 Crail Ch. Reg. 65.
Ane lettronale in grit volume, contenand the breiffis off antamys, ymnis, rundis, graillis and alla

8. Movement in a circle. a. A revolution of a wheel. b. A circuit or round journey. c. A patrol making a duty-round of a town.a. 1618 Lithgow Poet. Remains 25.
Yet once I sat vpon the fatall wheele, Whiles that the second round came round aboutb., c. 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II 140.
Pykis for halding the men furth of the weymennis roundis ?1621 Melrose P. 419.
Your … rondes for setling the Bordours Hielands and Isles 1686 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 37.
Efter the tap tu the rounds and patrolls may goe throw the cittie the wholl night

9. A quantity of stuff made up in a cylindrical roll.Cf. e.m.E. round, in this sense (1696). 1661 Acts VII 253/2.
Runds of cloath ilk three thousand ells 1693 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Deeds II 461.
Ane rowne half plaids

10. ? Coarsely ground wheat. Cf. Round adj. 7. 1670 Peebles B. Rec. II 83.
In respect they have the ourcome of the wheit and round thairof for their paines and profeit