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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Melt, n. Also: meilt. [Corresp. to ME. (c 1250) and e.m.E. milte, mylte, e.m.E. milt, OE. milte, (also multi), spleen, ON. milti spleen; and cf. MDu. milte, melte, milt, spleen, also spawn of fish, Norw. mjelte spleen, spawn of fish.]

1. The spleen, in animals or man.(a) 1456 Hay II. 139/12.
Outhir in lychtis or lyver or melt 1535 Stewart 33252. Ib. 1982.
Quhill livar and lungis, modereid and melt … bruschit on the grene 1549 Compl. 67/18.
Madyn hayr … remeid contrar the infectione of the melt 1580 Skeyne Descr. Well 3. 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Splen, the melt a1605 Montg. Flyt. 319 (H).
With meiths in thy melt Ib. 312 (T). 1598 Crim. Trials II. 66.
Tormentit with vehement panis in his stommok and in his melt 1622 Scot Course of Conformity 12.
It … proues like the melt in the bodie, as it swelleth … the strength and beautie of bodie decayeth 1634 Wedderburn Gramm. ii. 1648 Fife Synod 161.
Ane salt humour arysing fra the melt trubling the stomack and ascending to the head 1663 Melrose Reg. Rec. II. 83 (see Melt v.²).(b) c1600 Medical Recipes fol. 88.
And the stomak the meilt and the ribbis

b. Melt grown, growing, suffering from an enlarged spleen, swelling of the spleen. 1662 Soc. Ant. XXII. 222.
Ȝe … gropit his breast and back and said he was melt grown Ib. 223. Ib.
Charmed … for melt growingIb. 227.

c. As the name of a disease: ? = sense 1 b above.— a1605 Montg. Flyt. 313 (T).
The mair, the migram, the mureill, the melt 1659 Barty Hist. Dunblane 97.
And charme this man … For blood and melt for shotes and grippe

2. The spawn or sperm of a male fish. = Milk n.², Melg n. 1531 Bell. Boece I. xlii.
Thir salmond, … the hie fische spawnis his meltis, [etc.] Ib. xliii. 1584 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 343.
The heiring to be … vngilt or spawnit, having heid and taill with melt and rawne 1596 Dalr. I. 41/19.
Quhen [the herring] ar gutted, and the meltis takne out, thay ar sa leine that [etc.] 1609 Conv. Burghs II. 284.