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.
Quotation dates: 1499-1681
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Boucheour, Boucher, n. Also: boucheoure, bou-, bowchour, bucheour, boutschour, butchour; boutcher, bot(s)cher, boitschear, bucher, -ar. [ME. bochour, -or, rare var. of boucher, bowcher, bocher, etc., AF. boucher, OF. bouchier, bochier.] A butcher; an executioner or slaughterer.Usually fig. (frequently with bludy), the butcher by trade being commonly called a fleschare or flesch-heware.(a) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2888.
Syne bowellit thame that boucheour [the gled] with his bill 1533 Boece vi. iv. 192.
This bludy boucheoure distroying grete parte of nobillis 1535 Stewart 22823.
Tha bludie bouchowris all tyme ar so bald 1535 Ib. 25520; etc.
Tha bouchowris quhilk war vnbaptist 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2284 (B).
Trowis thow, bowchour [Ch. butchour], that I will by blind lammis c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1360.
That men on far micht heir the knokkis, Like boucheouris hakkand on thair stokks 1567 Satirical Poems iv. 76.
How that thay bucheowris blew me in the air and stranglit me 1567 Ib. vii. 66.
Bludy boucheouris and throtcutteris 1568 Lennox Mun. 439.
The schameles boutschour, George Dowglas a1578 Pitsc. I. 42/22.
To bring all wickit boutcheours … to be adiudgeit 1581 Cath. Tr. 79/19.
As thocht thai var the bludiest boucheouris that euer vas in the varldattrib. c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 69.
Euery bouchour dog doun dang mec1536 Ib. 194.(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1087.
The aip wes boucher, … and hangit him 1570 Satirical Poems xviii. 50.
Thay bouchers [that] thy father did combure c 1570 Ib. xxxvi. 156.
The bucheris of thy bludie clan a1578 Pitsc. I. 86/15.
Schir William Creichtoun … chancit neir be the same place quhair the bucheris lay 1600-1610 Melvill 203.
The marks of bludie burreaus and crewall buchars of Sathan 1600–1 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 108, x. 4.
Cryand bludie boitschearis c1650 Spalding II. 464.
Mvrtheraris, bloodie botcheris, rebellis 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. i. 15.
He thinks that belongs to boutchers
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"Boucheour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/boucheour>
