A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1469-1678
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0]
Defraud(e, n. [ME. defraude (c 1440), f. Defraud(e,v.] The act of defrauding; defraudation. Esp. in the phr. in defraud of. a 1470 Liber Aberbr. 106.
Quhilk nayme it gat … in defraude of ws and of our … tenentis 1474 Acts II. 107/1.
Anent ourlordis that in defraude & skaith of thair vassalis & tennentis deferris till enter to thair landis and superioriteis 1493 Ib. 234.
For the defraude done to our souerane lord in his custumis be strangearis and alienaris of vther realmes 1517 Reg. Privy S. I. 457/1.
Unfremen byis and sellis in divers placis to landwart … in gret defraud to us and our custumes 1542 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 333.
He gatt … the samin fra Ihone Gordoun … quha sauld the samin to him … in grete defraude of the said Iames 1582 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs I. 147.
Ȝoure Hienes suld perfytlie knaw na sic defraude to have bene maid be ws 1622-6 Bisset II. 191/3.
Duncan … in defraude foirsaid maid him self king 1630 Rec. Convention of Royal Burghs III. 311.
The factouris … does buy … all kynd of merchandice to the defraud of the haill merchandis 1678 Mackenzie Laws & C. i. i. § 2.
To make a disposition in defraud of creditors, is not criminal, though it be prohibited
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Defraud n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/defraude_n>
