A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420-1642
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Fat, Fatt, a. [ME. fatt(e, fat, OE. fǽtt.]
1. Of persons or animals: More than ordinarily fleshy. c1420 Wynt. iii. 48.
The carle was fat as ony selch 1456 Hay II. 119/5.
A fat man and corpolent 1456 Ib. 137/20.
[Cattle] quhen thai ar … fat and wele nurist a1500 Henr. Fab. 1039.
The fattest of this flock he fellit hais c1500-c1512 Dunb. xl. 7.
God wait gif scho wes grit and fatt 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 82.
Fed tuskyt barys, and fat swyne in sty 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 42/25.
I beheld mony hudit hirdis … conuoyand mony fat floc to be fed on the feildis a1578 Pitsc. I. 324.
He was determinat that he wald slay ane fatt buke or tua 1596 Dalr. I. 32/6.
In winter quhen thay ar throuch fatt [L. obesæ], … thay ar sent to be sauld
2. Consisting of fat; rich in fat.(1) 1502 Orkney Rentals I. 15.
The said tennentis payand for the fredome of the said hyir yeirlie … fat guid, butter & ulie therfor 1524 Rec. Earld. Orkney 423.
Nichole hes laid the said vi merk of land in wed … for sax barrellis fat guid 1642 Orkney Rentals iv. 31.
The lispoinds of butter or oyll are alyke with the settins in weight, albeit the names beis changed because of the change of the subjects, the one being victuall dewty, the other called fat good(2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiv. 43.
Nevir fatter flesch saw man with E c1575 Balfour Pract. 579.
Challenge of Fleshouris … That thay blaw the flesh, and cause it seme fat and fair 1596 Dalr. I. 51/3.
The fatt syde … hes throuch leinnes bene vtirlie deformet
b. transf. Of ground or wood. 1513 Doug. iv. v. 54.
Of beistis blude the fat grond nevir dry 1513 Ib. vi. iii. 110.
A huge heip … Of dry ayk schydis and fat roset treys 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 11.
Quhair the ground is fat and vaporatiue
3. fig. Rich, ample, plenteous. 1529 Lynd. Complaynt 220.
Geue me sum fate benefyce; And all the proffect ȝe sall haue 1562-3 Winȝet I. 101/13.
To couet a fair wyfe and ane fatt pensioun 1582 Declar. Causis 23.
Grit feids fosterit to mak the fattar escheittis to fall 1596 Dalr. I. 267/11.
He … finalie returnes with a fatt praii 1600-1610 Melvill 31.
Everie ane was hounting for a fatt kirk leiving
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"Fat adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 22 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/fat_adj>
