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.
Lesour, Lesur(e, n. Also: lessour, lesar, lezure; leissour, leisur; leas(s)our, leasure; laso(u)r, -ur(e; liss-, lyss-, lizour, -ur(e; and Bond(e)lesoure. [e.m.E. (once) lesur (1502), otherwise appar. only Sc. The usual Sc. form, altered var. of Lesu n., with the ending of pasture.]
A pasturage, grazing, meadow.Also fig. and attrib. with -syd(e.Very common, chiefly in the plural, in the tenendam clauses of grants of land. Latterly appar. chiefly south-western, like the mod. dial. Lizour 'a strip of pasture between two pieces of
arable ground or in a corner of a ploughed field in which cattle are
grazed and herded' (SND.).(a) 1457 Stirlings of Keir 231.
[I] haue giffin and grantit … the forsaide lande … in medois, pastouris and lesouris [etc.] 1496–7 Acta Conc. II. 54.
The saidis landis … with thair pertinentis, … bondis, pasturis and lesuris [etc.] 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxii.
Ros … thaireftir is cassin furth with mair braid lesuris, valis and montanis Ib. xviii, xxxv, 139, 210, etc. Ib. II. 297.
All the boundis of Scotland wer ful of woddis, lesouris, and medois 1534 Liber Melros 628.
To be haldin … in houssis, … pastouris, lesouris, fre vsche and entray 1543 Reg. Privy S. III. 42/2.
The landis and steding of Coldaneheid with the lesure and pasture thairof 1552 Holyrood Chart. 157.
To be brukit … in howsis, … pasturis and lesaris [etc.] 1608 (1610) Reg. Great S. 144/1.
Cum communitate ad montes, lessouris et pascua de Durris consuetisfig. 1597 in Calderwood V. 567.
For it becomes us to resemble the sheepe and lambes of our Maister's lezure(b) 1654 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 324.
To hold all … meidowes, feidings, pasturis, leisuris [etc.] 1655 Lanark B. Rec. 155.
The eist end of the muir … to ley leie for a leissour to the cattell nixt soummer 1658 Hunter Fam. P. (S.R.S.) 59.
In houssis … feedings, pastures, leisuris, milnes [etc.](c) 1560 Crosraguel Chart. I. 120.
In houssis biggynis boundis feildis pasturis leasuris and commune pasture 1614 Aboyne Rec. 216.
Leassouris 1615 Reg. Great S. 494/2.
Cum glebariis, lie leasures, communitate, communi pastura [etc.] 1659 Marischal Coll. Rec. I. 295. c1500-50 Pleugh-Song in 1662 Forbes Cantus (ed. 2).
Out of an uncouth fair leasure(d) a1585 Maitl. Q. lxix. 34.
Thay [sc. two harts] me demandit gif I wald assent With thame to go thair lasoris for to sie 1610 Aboyne Rec. 202.
Mill landis thairof, lasuris, multuris [etc.] 1620 Grant Chart. 318.
As they lye in … wodis, … moisis, … gressingis, lasouris [etc.] 1669 Burnett Fam. P. MS.
To be halden … in howsis … meadowis, lasures, pasturages [etc.](e) 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 183.
In lyssouris [R. lesuris] and on leys litill lammys … socht bletand to thar dammys 1678 Rothesay B. Rec. 357.
William Stewart … is ordayned to be goeing to the lizour with his kyne at 4 houres ilk morneing 1681 Corshill Baron Ct. 155.
The said Johne confest he, being nixt in his lissure to the said corne, could not cleng himself 1699 Disposition in Jam. s.v. Lesuris.
And consists in heights [etc.] … lizures, pasturages [etc.]attrib. 1691 Corshill Baron Ct. 185.
That the persuer by his bestiall on his lissur syd had destroyed five peckes corne
