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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.

Cord, Coird, Coard, n. Also: corde, coarde. [ME. cord, corde (c 1300), coorde, e.m.E. coard(e, OF. corde, L. chorda.]

1. A cord, string, or rope.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xlviii. 158.
He … gert … stent hir thar-one but hone Vith cordis stark one ilke syd c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 653.
With cordes sere … The hors they drew c1420 Wynt. iii. 352.
Wytht sevyn corddys newe layde Off hert cynownys … fast ware I Bundyn [etc.] a1500 Henr. Fab. 1508.
Of hempyn cordis strang nettis couth thay mak c1475 Wall. x. 637.
Quhar mony man Cuttyt cordys, gart mony tentis fall Ib. xi. 1060.
His handys … with seuir cordys thai braid a1500 Bk. Chess 1962.
At the cord quhilk for a belt he weris The box quhilk his letteris [ar] in he beris 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 337.
For … vj elne cordis, quhen the King wes in schip 1507 Ib. IV. 14.
ix unce sewing silk deliverit to the broustair to be cordis and pointis to the King 1529 M. Works Acc. I. 13 b.
For x faldon of small cordis to be bandis to the cart hors in the stabillis 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 300.
For twa faddom of ane greit cord to caus the greit bell streik the hours quhen the knok wes away 1582 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 259.
To delyuer to Thomas Morame, porter of the Nether Bow, the bowet and cord thairof, to be hung at the said port 1599 Reg. Privy C. VI. 22.
He … knit ane lang corde about his middle waist, … and hang him in ane deip coilput hoill 1623–4 Peebles B. Rec. 411.
For four foddome of cordis to flichter Thomas Pattersone(b) 1568 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 6.
For nyne faddome of coirdis to the knok 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 106.
Everie man had the said coird in his hand, and the formest to guyde all 1596 Reg. Privy C. V. 301.
[They] patt handis in the said Barbara, band and flichterit hir with coirdis 1624 Crim. Trials III. 576.
He was fund hingand in tua horse girthes or coirdes, deid(c) 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 124.
Everie man had the said coard in his handis, … sua no man that held ane grip of the coard could gang by the way 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Perticata.
Ane string or coard, of sex elnes lang Ib.
The coarde being ane schaft length abone the pykes

b. Without article: Cord as a material. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxii. 52.
Thai harlit him furth with raip and corde 1511 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 134.
Anent the voydour callit cord and canves … of pakkis of lint 1532 M. Works Acc. II. 60.
xx faldom of cord to stent the cammes at the buttis 1555–6 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 185.
For thre faddome of greit coird to barro the stanis with 1574 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 25.
iij faddomis of coird to the bell

2. A rope or cord used for hanging or strangling. c1475 Wall. vi. 479.
Sum bad byrn him, sum hang him in a cord Ib. vii. 207. 1513 Doug. xii. x. 122.
At ane hie balk teyt vp scho has … a stark cord or a las, Quharwith hir self scho spilt 1533 Boece xiii. iv. 504 b.
Gillecriste … , displesit contrare his wife, … weryit hir in ane corde 1549 Compl. 103/3.
As Kyng Eduard did til Scottis men … , quhen he gart put the craggis of sextein scoir in faldomis of cordis 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 50.
Captane Couttis and Mvre, and threttie other suddartis, daunced thair fill in cordis, and thairin endit thair miserable lyves 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 155.
Had the knycht leavit, or yit the lorde, Thai had me wirriit stark deid in ane corde

3. A monk's or friar's girdle. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5866.
Corde, cuttit schone, nor clippit hede, That daye sall stande ȝow in no stede

4. Taffeté of the cord: see Taffeté.

5. A bundle of skins. 1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 221.
The said Thomas Hunter … hes causit pak thre cordis of skynnis, and payit the dew custumes thairof 1649 Conv. Burghs III. 344.
The soume of threscoir poundis Fleymes, [which] wes the pryce of ane coard of skynnes 1654 Ib. 372.

6. The cordis, a disease affecting the sinews of a horse. a1605 Montg. Flyt. 295 (T).
The coirdis [v.r. cordis], the colt evill, the claspis, and the cleikis 1618 M. Works Acc. XV. 63 b.
For cutting of the quhyt hors of the cordis