A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420, 1531-1596
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Industry, -rie, n. [Late ME. industrie (c 1477), OF. -trie (14th c.), L. industria.] Activity, diligence, application; contrivance, means.Also, productive labour, trade or manufacture. c1420 Wynt. ii. 549.
Thai grewe so fast, Off industry and ingyne, … And off welth c1420 Ib. iv. 1015.
The Attenyens besyly He tretyde wyth his industry c1420 Ib. 1044.
And als wyth othir industry The Kyng Cerses tresour wan Fra that fyrst the were began Tyll that day 1531 Bell. Boece I. 2.
He changit the governance of the empire of Egypt be industry of Moyses 1531 Ib. II. 412.
King Edward ... promittit, gif Erle Thomas was slane be his industry, to reward him 1533 Id. Livy I. 66/24.
Sic tressonabill fleing come neuer be my industry 1533 Boece xi. xvii. 441 b.
Ane idle ... harlot ... liffand apoun the industrie of vthir men 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 79/2.
Al ȝour honest policie sal be aboleist, & al verteous industrie … brocht to nocht 1562 Inverness B. Rec. I. 94.
[The inhabitants to be] hawaris of gude industrie to conques thair lewingis on 1573 Macritchie Gypsies 63.
Be quhat honest meane craft or industre they have dedicat thame selffis to leif 1596 Dalr. II. 33/20.
Sche, as was reported, suddenlie thairefter dies, be industrie of the gouernour
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"Industry n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/industry>
