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: 1499-1650
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Cautelous, Cawtelous, a. Also: caut-, cawtelus, cautilouse. [ME. cautelous (a 1400), F. cauteleux, f. Cautele,n.] Cunning, crafty, wily; full of tricks or traps. a1500 Henr. Fab. 394.
The foxe semis craftie and cautelous a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1838.
The dremaris that war sa cawtelous, Thai war the sagis … That thé begylis nycht & day c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxi. 3.
He … him absentis, with wylis cautelus, Ȝeiris and dayis mo than two or thre c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 17.
Ane doctour conding, Callit Solon, ane jurist cautelous c1550 Ib. iii. 150.
That … ȝe wald … me defend fra this cautelous cace 1560 Id. Seven Sages 4151.
Auld men … ar wonder cautelus, Wylie and fell 1560 Ib. 6821.
Presenting thair the deuillis net Vnder cullour sa cautelous a1568 Bannatyne MS 145 a.
Cattis ar cawtelus in taking of myis 1600 Colville Palinode 10.
The civill law is so confused and cautelous, that it cannot well bee reduced to anie forme c1650 Gordon Britane's Distemper 56.
His cautilouse and wary disposition
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"Cautelous adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/cautelous>
