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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.

Tuth, Tutht, n. Also: tuthe, twtht, tuith(e, tuyth(e, twith(e, touth, towth(t, tooth, toith, tothe. Pl. teth(t)(e, teith(e, teitht, teyth(e, teeth, tyeith, tuith. [ME and e.m.E. toð (c1250), tooth (Chaucer), toyth (1435), tuthe (1483), tuth (1562), pl. teð (Ancr. R.), tethe (Cursor M.), teth (Gower), teeth (Caxton), OE tóþ, tóð.]

1. A tooth of a person, animal, etc. Chiefly in pl. Also chaft tuith, a molar. Also comb.(1) pl. 1375 Barb. xix 678.
A lauchtane mantell … Liand apon the bed he [sc. the fox] saw, And with his teth [C. teyth] he gan it draw Out-our the fyr a1400 Leg. S. ii 840.
[Nero] fled … And fand a tre, and it scha[r]pit With his tetht, and syne on it Slewit hym-self a1400 Leg. S. xxi 95.
Scho goulyt & grat … & dang hyre body & face bare, & with hyre tethte hyre handis bat 1460 Hay Alex. 1090.
His hors … Baith hors and man with his teth wald ryfe doun 1549 Compl. 73/23.
The beiris, lyons, voluis [etc.] … vil deffende there cauerne & there quhelpis, vitht there tethe & feit c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2296.
Sanct Apollin … With all hir tethe in tyll hir handis(b) 1375 Barb. xix 674 (C) (see (1) pl. above). c1420 Wynt. i 775 (C).
A best thai call Mantyra … lik is … Til a man … Bot the teythe [W. teeth] that ar with-in His hewide ar set in chesteris thryn 1456 Hay II 121/22.
Thou sall wesch thy teith and syne rub thame with a bark of a tree that be hate and dry a1500 Henr. Fab. 223.
Thir wydderit peis and nuttis … Wil brek my teith 1507 Treas. Acc. IV 77.
To Alane Coquheran for ane irn to byrn sair teith, ij s. 1511–12 Treas. Acc. IV 332.
To Kynnard the barbour for tua teith drawin furtht of his hed be the king, j Franch croun, xiiij s. 1531 Bell. Boece I xl.
The sheip that gangis on this montane ar yallo, thair teith ar hewit like gold 1531 Bell. Boece I 101.
Quhen thair hand and swerd was doung away, thay fell above thair ennimes, and rave thaim with thair teith 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 10.
To pers the presoun wall it wes nocht eith, For it wes mingit and maid with mussill teith c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3123.
Oxin hydis … With mouth, and nois, teith, eris, and eine 1567 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 6 Dec.
Quha dar be sa pert to deill my breid, yow provest had better eitin it with your teyth 1619 Elgin Rec. II 160.
Androw Wanes … choppit on his teithe and said thair was lytill good in hir face 1672 Foulis Acc. Bk. 11.
To Megs nurse for Megs getting out teith(c) 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 529.
Tyeith(d) 1581 Brechin Test. I 46a.
Ane blak hidill kow that hes tuithsing. a1400 Leg. S. xxv 561.
Scho had nothir twng na tutht To say hyme that he sad nocht sutht a1400 Leg. S. xxxii 781.
Wes na best tuth wald set One thaim [sc. the bodies of Cyprian and Justina], a morcel for til ete 14.. Acts I 375/2.
Be the law of Gode a heid for a heid a hand for a hand … Be the law of man for the lyf of a man ix^xx ky … for ane er als mekill for a tuth xii penijs for ilk inch of lynth of the wound xij penijs [etc.] a1500 Colk. Sow ii 140.
Into hir heid I trest was nocht a tuth Thairfoir grwew most gredely eit sche 1503 Treas. Acc. II 409.
To the barbour that com to tak furth the kingis tuth, xiiij s. 1511 Treas. Acc. IV 330.
To ane fallow, because the king pullit furtht his twtht, xiiij s. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. v 38.
E for e, and tuthe for tuthe(b) c1420 Wynt. iii 309 (C).
Than begouythe to bryst Out of a tuythe [W. toith] of that cheik bane Watyr cleyr 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 403.
To garneis ane bair tuith to my lord prince, ane unce twa unicorn half unicorn wecht of gold of mynde 1560 Strathendrick 290.
Ane auld relict callit Sant Fillanis twithe a1595 Misc. Spald. C. II xxx.
Tak alme pepper and ginger and birne them togidder be thai become lyik wax and put the sam in the hoill of the tuith(c) c1420 Wynt. iii 315 (W) (see (b) above).(d) 15.. Lord Fergus' Gaist 56.
Little gaist I coniure thé … First with ane fisschis mowth And syne with ane fowlis towth c1559 Innes Rev. XVI 129.
Tua of the vors chalices with Sanct Apollonies towtht [pr. towcht] 1696 Sinclair Satan's Inv. World Suppl. xxv.
He … did compare it with the tooth of man, horse, nolt and sheep … but could not say which it did resemble(2) 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Genuinus, the chaft tuithcomb. 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 44.
Ane clamb schell of silver to put tuithe pulder in 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 89.
Ane stoppell to keip the kingis grace twithe pulder — 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 108.
Many other stories I could report heir as … that of the tooth drawer and the lavement out of the History of Francion

2. In fig. and allusive use a. Where the teeth are taken metonymically for the mouth, lips, person, etc., usu., with the implication of resistance or hostility. b. In collocation with Girn v.¹, Girnand ppl. adj., Girning vbl. n., with reference to showing the teeth in snarling, qq.v. for examples. Also lit. c. A taste or liking for something. d. From the teithe fordward, on the surface, superficially. e. proverb.a. ?1438 Alex. ii 8900 (see Maugré prep. e).
Teith 1548 Perth Hammermen 65.
That quhat maister of craft … that makis ony manner of vark of uther mennis stuf, that is to say, cutlers for making of byknyves [etc.] … the said wark to be sauld daylie upon the craftis teith 1568 St. A. Kirk S. 297.
Allegeing that gyf he gaif his ansuere in wryte that it wald be blaudit upon every mannis teitht 1608 Kinghorn Kirk S. 14.
David Fermour, Thomas Craig … quha war playing at the gouf upon the Sabbothe day quha being reprovit did answer fartis in ȝour teithe and prayers baithe 1680 Wodrow Hist. III (1829) 197.
Not willing to cross his teeth that day, a little wood being near, we turned into it till he should passb. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. viii 12 (see Girning vbl. n.).
Tethec. 1587-99 Hume 183/669.
A man may have ane touth that disgraceth all his vertewisd. 1622 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 141.
I am informed matters are sattilled betwyxt Bukkinghame and Dayell, thoe I heir it be but from the teithe fordwarde. 1554 Knox III 298.
Thou labourest nowe, with tothe and nayle, to florysh agayn in England 1562-3 Winȝet I 100/5.
Contending with twith and nail (as is the prouerb) a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 112.
A gevin horse sould not be luked in the teith a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 356.
Better teith over toung, nor toung over teith

3. Chiefly pl. The teeth of an implement or mechanism.pl. 1560 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 352.
To mend the artailyery and certane raik teithe … 56 s. 1593 Edinb. Test. XXV 369a.
Four harrowis with irne teithe price liij s. iiij d. 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 383.
For ane dussone of raik teith with ane hose to the heid 1673 Stitchill Baron Ct. 64.
For scandellizing Andro Burn poundler … in saying he did steill eightein harrow teethsing. 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 29.
The number of the quheills of gryitt and small cloaks … with the numbere of everie hack or tooth, of everie neitt and quheill belonging to the same 1690 Foulis Acc. Bk. 117.
To Mr. Strachan, watchmaker in Canogait head for a new tooth to myself and fastning with silk £2