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: 1497-1581
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Laby, Labé, n. [Origin obscure: ? cf. Gael. leàbag auricle, flap, leaf of a door, etc. (Armstrong). Also in the mod. dial.] A flap or skirt of a garment; a loose garment or wrap. — 1497 Treasurer's Accounts I. 340.
For ane ribane to bordoure the laby of the Kingis armyng hos vj d. 1540 Ib. VII. 324.
For vij quarteris taffites to lyne the parliamentis and the laby of the cote dowbill 1581 Satirical Poems xliii. 190.
During his dayis thai [raiders] durst not ryde ane ell; The hirdis and hinde men in their labeis lay
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"Laby n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/laby>
