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: 1499-1603, 1686
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Custron(e, -oun, n. Also: cws-, cous-, cos-, cuistroun, (kuoistryn, keustran). [e.m.E. coystrowne (Skelton), ME. quystroun, -tron, OF. coistron, quistron, a scullion.] A base fellow, a knave or varlet. Also attrib. a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow i. 349.
Mony laddis, mony lownis, Knowf knois kynnis [? Knawis kuoistrynnis] culrownis 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 390.
Pandaris, pykthankis, custronis, and clatteraris, Loupis vp frome laddis, sine lychtis amang lardis a1568 Peder Coffeis 39.
That calf clovin-futtit fleid custroun, Will mary nane bot a burgess bairne a1585 Polwart Flyt. 122 (T).
Learne, scybald knave, to knaue thy sell, Vyld vagabound, or I invey, Cuistroun [v.r. custrone, -oun], with cuiffis thé [to] compell a1585 Ib. 636.
Ane counterfute cuistroun [v.r. cous-, costroun] that clerkis dois not cair 1603 Philotus cxxxiv.
Auld custrone carle, tak thair a reuell 1686 Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 28.
A lown of very ill report A keustran [gl. fulsome sloven] infamously famous
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"Custron n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/custrone>
