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

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tum(e, adj. Also: tumb(e, twme, tuyme, twym(e, toum, towme, toom(e, tome, toyme, teim, teem, tiem. [ME tome (a1250), tum(e (Cursor M.), toome (c1400), toyme (1435), OE tóm, ON tómr; Teme v.]

1. Empty, vacant, void of contents.(a) c1420 Wynt. ix 1148 (C).
Lyndissay … Straik qwhit this Wellis fra his hors … That al his sadil toyme was seyn(b) c1420 Wynt. viii 6157.
Othir lordis … Sayd, he had fillyd fullyly His baggis, and thairris all twme [C. tome] war 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 495.
For twme [pr. twnis] treis to put the said aile in 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 168.
Of ane twme twn, nane can draw out licour 1581 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 145.
Fyve lastis of twme blawin treis 1585 9th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 193/1.
Four chargeing barrellis twme without ony powdir(c) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1688.
Bachus … renewit hes Hir tume pyipis … With wynis 1482 Edinb. Chart. 168.
All the tvm vydouris of gudis ventit or temyt in the … tovn of Leith 1488 Treas. Acc. I 83.
A cageat tume a1500 Seven S. 756.
He … A tvme toun gart tak … And boryt the bodome in holis 1497 Treas. Acc. I 343.
For the tume pipis to put this ail … in a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 961.
Rynand in haist [thai] tuke ane reid that wes tvme 1540 Lynd. Sat. 395 (Ch.).
I leuer thair war not … Ane tume cunt into this toun 1558–9 Treas. Acc. X 442.
For tume puncheonis, tume barrellis, to put clay and keip watter in, petis and colis 1572–3 Canongate Ct. Bk. 432.
Twa barrellis salmond … providing … the said Williame Carmichaell … pay … the prices of the tume treis of the saidis barrellis 1577 Reg. Privy C. II 656.
Sufferit … Johnne Smyth and the cumpanyis of bayth the saidis schippis to depart … with the foirsaid schip empty and tume 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI 513.
In all uther cuntreyis … thair is a fer grittair allowance allowit to the mercheantis for their lekkage and tume treis c1610 Melville Mem. 412.
Ther was a tum chair set before the rest, for the King of France ambassadour(d) 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 177.
The lairdnar. Item vij fattis for fles twyme a1538 Abell 98b.
Thai put a twym quhissill at his cundit and … throw the quhissill thai put ane hait yrn 1566–7 Treas. Acc. XII 405.
Tuyme(e) 1531 Aberd. Pynours 60.
For every toum [pr. tounn] pyip 1573 Edinb. Test. II 335.
Aucht towme schethis price xviij s.(f) a1500 Sir Eger 1842.
The glove was heavie and not toom 1567 Anderson Collect. Mary II 172.
He bare up ane toome poulder barrel to the same place 1616 Crim. Trials III 586.
The sevin deaff and toome earis of corne 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 81/51.
The Court a chatton toome that lackes her stone 1682 Peden Lords Trumpet (1739) 21.
She missed him, and got a toom tomb and an empty grave 1694 Inchmahome Pr. 159.
Of toom tykes for beds … 1(g) 1627 Glasgow Weavers 55.
Dischairges him onie uther work quhill the samin be wovin eftir his lumb beis tumb 1629 Stirling B. Rec. I 162.
James Ramsay, creillman … ganging throw the countrey … with ane tumbe creill on his bak(h) 1576 Orkney Oppress. 72.
Tiem stoupis 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 174.
I leiff to … my dochtir … ane teim littel siluir creillproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 350.
Better tua eine in your head, nor tua tume doupesabsol. 1535 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 447.
To tak a penny of ilk full cart … and of ilk tume ane half penny

In allusive uses. b. Of a sheath for a sword, denoting a loss of power or standing. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 832 (Asl.).
With a twme scheith ȝe stand nocht than chekmat c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 128.
Thay callit the criminall, With ane twme scheith set him on the pannall

c. With reference to hunger, destitution or absence of resources or money. Also proverb. a1500 Henr. Fab. 91.
Draf or corne, to fill my tume intraill 1492 Myll Spect. 297/18.
Ane emptyff and twme purs 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II 160.
Thir fleis … war all full of hir blude … and gif thai wer skalit, vtheris, quhilkis wer moir ȝevery and tvme, suld lycht in thair rowmes 1531 Bell. Boece II 337.
He sall not depart with tume hand a1538 Abell 50a.
He … said gife Gregoir … fed all the pepill we ma nocht do that. And sa mony tymes he answerd and send thame twym awa a1568 Bann. MS 64a/7.
With silkin gownis and sellaris tome and bair 1596 Dalr. II 262/1.
His realme he left ryche, the treasure nocht tume and bair of money c1610 Melville Mem. 385.
They will schone tyre, and reteir when ther purses begins to grow tume a1651 Calderwood IV 309.
Zelat. ‘The fleshlie man’ sayeth Paul, ‘savoureth not the things of the spirit.’ Tempor. But your Paulling, will caus you gett on the wombe with a toome dish. Zelat. God feedeth the crowes 1604-31 Craig iv 24.
My bread is mowl'd, my bottell toome and torne 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 267.
Let us … cast down our toom buckets into Christ's ocean, and suck consolations out of Him a1689 Cleland 99.
An empty pantree, and toom potsproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 7.
A toome purse makes a bleat merchant(b) a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1706) 261.
Better half egg nor teem doup a1598 Ferg. Prov. (1706) 285.
Teem bags rattle

2. Of a place or location: Empty, vacant, unoccupied. Also const. of. Also proverb. b. Of a person's time: Unfilled with activity.(1) a1500 K. Hart 614.
The steid is stollin … the stall is tume 1533 Boece 152b.
Castellis ar empty and tvme 1533 Boece 457b.
The tvme schippis left in the firth … be the eistin wynd … war … sonkin a1568 Bann. MS 267a/33.
Quhen hevin is tome and hell is full of blis 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 162.
When ye inquire for him & finde but a toom nestproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1409.
Sa lang as ye are comming and going the way is never tume(2) a1538 Abell 75a.
The schippis twym of marinalis c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus Prol. 139.
Of auld wyse men that cietie he maid tome 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 191/7.
Sitting house pastymes … maye … suplee the roume quhilke being toome ualde be patent to perniciouse ydilteth

3. a. fig. Empty, insubstantial, vain, futile; feeble. Also comb. c1420 Wynt. viii 1956.
The pelure thai tuk off hys tabart (Twme-Tabart he wes callyt efftyrwart) And all othire insyngnys That fell to kyngis 1456 Hay II 24/5.
Knychthede tume and idill bot office, or heretike aganis the faith a1500 Henr. Fab. 1914.
Syne on the feild he sawis calf … Quhilk is bot tume and verray vanitie Of … vaine prosperitie 15.. Bk. Dean Lismore 83.
John the bailȝe kyng callit tumettabert c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 219.
Than he ful tendirly dois turne to me his tume person 1513 Doug. vi iv 120 (Sm.).
War nocht … Sibilla Taucht hym thai wer but voyd gaistis all tha, But ony bodeis … He had apon thaim ruschit … The tume schaddowis smytyn to haue slane 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4072.
Ane twme trattillar, to bring hame ill tythance a1568 Sempill in Sat. P. xlvi 27.
Tome a1585 Polwart Flyt. 212 (H).
Toome talke a1599 Rollock Wks. I 373.
And hes thou not this wisdome? thou hes ane tume and ane poisoned heid 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 452.
Thy heart toom and void of all grace 1617 Sel. Biog. I 99.
The toome … oratry of these who say [etc.] 1635 Dickson Wr. 18.
The modest confession of the publican … is far better than the toom swelling words of many 1639 Baillie I 198.
All these hopes proved bot toome wind 1650 Carstairs Lett. 63.
It cannot be told how emptie and toome in all these I have beincomb. 1629 Boyd Balm of Gilead 21 (Jam.).
A man … that hath not harnes or brain, a toome headed man

b. Of the wind: Light, insubstantial. 1637 Lithgow Siege Breda 2.
Having faire weather and toome windes

c. Of nerves: Lacking power or substance. a1689 Cleland 66.
Whose conscience … strove to rise But racked tendons, deizie head, Toom nerves, dry veins made it … Fall back