A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Cursour, n.1 Also: -soure, -ssour, -sur(e, -sor, -soir; kursour. [Variant of Coursour. Cf. Curser.] A large powerful riding horse or war-horse; a stallion.(a) c1420 Wynt. ii. 52 (C).
Scho … lap upon a cursoure syne c1475 Wall. v. 820.
A nobill cursour bur him bath fast and weill Ib. ix. 1797.
Wallace was horssyt apon a cursour wicht 1497 Treas. Acc. I. 328.
For ane hors hous to the liard cursour 1501 Ib. II. 117.
To the cheld of the pantree that hed his hors slane be the Kingis quhit cursour c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxi. 20.
Thocht in the stall I be nocht clappit, As cursouris that in silk beine trappit 1513 Doug. ix. v. 107.
Beheld ȝe nocht quhatkyn a cursour wyght [etc.] Ib. xiii. ix. 64.
On ane startland cursour gude 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xli.
The landwart peple puttis certane tame cursouris and meris amang thir wild hors 1535 Stewart 16841.
With greit cursouris and pamfrayis of pryde Ib. 59445.
He counterit him vpoun ane cursoure wycht c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 371.
He lap vpon his cursour wicht, And straucht him in his stirroppis richt a1568 Scott xxxiv. 110.
Rycht swa the meir refusis The cursour for ane awer 1580-92 James VI Lusus R. 25.
As cursouris nikkis rydand in the nicht(b) 1513 Doug. vii. iv. 192.
For euery Troiane … thar the kyng With purpour howsouris bad a cursur bring 1535 Stewart 4756.
Nobill men … On cursuris kene weill bardit for the weir Ib. 59452.
The erle of Buchane on ane cursure gray(c) 1513 Doug. xii. v. 186.
Mesapus … Dovn from his stowt cursor [Sm. cursoir] … Smait hym a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xli. 46.
Stiff speiris in reistis, Ouer cursoris cristis 1594 Black Bk. Taymouth 299.
The lairdis gray amlan cursor Ib.
The mekil gray cursor
b. Attrib. with hors, naig.1561 Misc. Maitl. C. II. 295.
The wrangus withaldin fra him of ane blak cursour horse 1576 Reg. Privy C. II. 485.
Ane gray cursour hors of sex yeir auld 1590 Ib. IV. 505.
[They] awaytuke twa geldingis and ane cursour hors 1604 Shetland Sheriff Ct. MS. 126 b.
Ane donewe kursour naig gangand in the yle of Fowlay
