Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Leister, Leastour, Lister, n. [e.m.E. (? latterly only north.) lister (1533–4), leyster, leister, ON. ljóstr, ODan. liuster (Norw. dial. lioster, Sw. ljuster, Da. lyster).] A leister, a pronged fishing-spear. —(a) 1593 Ayr Chart. 118.
To fische the said watter … be bottis, cobillis, nettis and leastouris at thair plessour 1685 Wodrow MSS. XXXVII. No. 14.
A fishing instrument called a leaster(b) 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 3 Oct.
For leisters being 8 of them 1660 Hist. Berw. Nat. Club XIII. 18.
Many people … that do at mill dams, and other places where fish run up to spawn, kill the same with leisters(c) 1643 Edinb. Test. LX. 280.
Ane brasine lister for fishe 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway 83.
Men go in and catch [the salmon] with their hands, speares, listers, etc.