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: 1520-1626
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Bouchery, n. Also: boucheory, buchrie; boutcherie, -ery, bowtcharie; bucherie, buch(er)re. [e.m.E. bouchery, -erie, ME. buch-, bocherie, OF. boucherie.]
1. A butcher's shop or stall. c1520-c1535 Nisbet 1 Cor. x. 25.
Al thing that is sald in the bucherie [Wycl. bocherie], ete ye
2. Slaughter, execution, carnage. 1533 Boece ii. xii. 84 b.
Aganis the cruell bouchrie of tormentouris 1533 Ib. vi. ii. 186 b; etc.
Be his awne boucheory he brocht him self to dede 1533 Bell. Livy I. 167/22.
He was nocht condampnit to service, bot erar to presoun and bouchery 1580 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 459.
The boutchery and massacre at Pareis 1581 Burne Disput. 190.
Prophaning the sam [sanctuary] vith … filth, … murther, bucherie 1616 Haddington Corr. 132.
We ar sore bwssiett with executiounis: it is ane pietie of the greitt bowtcharie we mak of prettie men 1626 Garden Worthies 104.
No … man of mark … would … be att such boutcherie
3. Attrib. with male (rent). 1558 Inverness B. Rec. I. 26.
Flescharis [pursued] for … the rest of thair bucherre malis of the Mertimes terme anno lvj … and xl s. for thair buchre malis of Mertimes lvij1559 Ib. 38.
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"Bouchery n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Aug 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bouchery>
