A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Appil, Apil, n. Also: appill, appyl(l, appel(l, appol; happle, aple; apyl, apill, aipill. [ME. appil, apill, appel, apple, ONhb. æpil, æppil, OE. æppel. The late spelling aipill indicates the mod. Sc. pronunciation.]
1. An apple.a1400 Leg. S. xii. 146 (he saw fare appolis in a ȝarde); 161 (of thai fare happlis for to het); 169 (aplys). xxxvi. 1099 (to payre ane apil). c1420 Wynt. v. 5192 (hys wand bare off appyllys gret plente). a1500 Henr. Orph. 165 (before his face ane apill hang). a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 293 (the wariet apill of the forbiddin tre). 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xxxiii (in Murray is gret plente of appillis). a1568 Scott xxxiv. 128 (ȝe couet … as Eua did the apill). 1594 Rep. Hist. MSS. (Mar & Kellie) 41 (raisingis and aippillis). 1612 Bk. Rates 288 (appillis of all sortis). 1621 Maxwell Mem. I. 331 (for apillis at twa sindry tymis).
b. A ball resembling an apple.a1500 Seven S. 1652.
In hir left hand [was] ane aple of gold 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 385.
To the turnour that turnit apilles to the king for the tournament 1508 Ib. IV. 123.
To the Franch gunnar to mak ane litill apill for the chapell
2. The pupil (of the eye).1585 Reg. Morton I. 143.
Quhilk he will preserve as the appill of his ee
3. Attrib. with barrel, imp (scion), speit (spit), yaird (garden).1572 Edinb. Test. II. 235 (ane apill speit of irne). 1591–2 Edinb. B. Rec. 57 (the aipill, ungyeoun and corne barrellis). 1662 Melrose R. Rec. III. 64 (on the eist syde of his aple yaird). 1680 Foulis Acc. Bk. 70 (pear imps, aple imps).
