A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1420-1626
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Makles, Maikles, a. Also: mack-, mayk-, meak-. [ME. (a 1225) and e.m.E. makeles, f. Mak n.1: cf. Machles. After the 16th c. only Sc. and north. Eng. as makeless, maikless.]Only in verse.
Matchless, peerless, incomparable.(a) c1420 Wynt. v. 149.
The mudyre makles off that chylde c1450-2 Howlat 902.
He thocht him maid on the mold makles of mycht a1500 Bernardus 194.
Man reput nocht hym frende quhilk in thi face … sais thow art makles 1611 Mure Misc. P. ii. 32.
Ah, mackles dame, quhom all the world admires(b) c1420 Wynt. iv. Prol. 41.
Off the maykles maydyn brycht c1450-2 Howlat 367.
Alyon … Maid maikles of mycht a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow i. 446. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxv. 52. 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 33.
The fillok hyr deformyt fax wald have a fair face To mak hir maikles of hir man 15.. Clariodus iii. 592.
Of hir that in all vertew stude maikles c1550 Rolland Court of Venus i. 605. c1568 Lauder Minor P. iv. 10.
Ane maykles monstour withoutin wit or lair 1580 Hume Promine 22.
With manlike maneris maikles to behald c1590 J. Stewart II. 18/107.
The maikles beutie a1605 Montg. Misc. P. l. 32.
Of maidis the maikles margareit a1605 Id. Flyt. 407 (T). 1626 Garden Worthies 77.
A maikless modell of a matchless man(c) 1588 Melvill 271.
For to refraishe the mynd a meakles marrow1597 Ib. 427.
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"Makles adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/makles>
