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.
Lapstar, n. Also: lapster, lapister. [Later Sc. var. of Lopstar, with usual a for o before p.] A lobster. Also attrib. with kist, net.(1) a1568 Bann. MS. 156 a/32.
The lapstar deip furris teild a1568 Scott v. 32.
Lapstaris, lempettis, mussillis in schellis 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Georgics iv. 48.
Cancros lapstars c1590 Fowler II. 193/29.
All sortes of fishes: as … lampets, partans, lapstars, crabs 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 4.
Great buckis, partans, toes of lapsters 1650 Arbroath B. Rec. MS. 6.
Every creele of fish … or lapstars caryed away by cadgers 1662 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 159.
Discharging all Scotsmen to sell any herring, whyt fish, lapsters or oysters … to any stranger 1679 Haddington Mem. I. 229.
For 12 lapsters [£1, 16 s.] 1684 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 128.
[All fish for sale to go to the market,] excepting oysters and lapsters and other shell fishes which is comonly cryed through the streit 1700 Foulis Acc. Bk. 279.
Mrs. Abigaill and my tuo sones and servants lapster and partans and brandie [£2, 18, 6]attrib.1589 Crail B. Ct. 24 June.
Ane lapstar nett1592 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 74.
Ane lapster nett … quhairwith not onlie lapsteris bot also partanis and paddillis … was takin, a new ingyne deuysit to that effect1594 Edinb. Test. XXVI. 346.
Tua lapstar nettis price of the pece v merkis1677 Dunbar Social
Life II. 122.
He
had two lapister kists in the harbour muth and the boatmen towed close
on them and they aleadge that they did losse two hunder
lapisters (2)1597 Edinb. Test. XXX. 53 b.
In the castell of Kirkwall ane pece of bras callit the lapster price thairof ij c. li.
