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, 1494-1605, 1666
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Mous, n. Also: mouse, mows(e, muse. Plur. mise, mys(e, mysse, myis, myce. [ME. mous, mows, early mus, pl. mys(e, myce, OE. mú s pl. mýs.] A mouse.sing. a1500 Henr. Fab. 918 (Bann.).
The musk the litill mows a1500 Ib. 942.
The dromadair [etc.] … I can thame law as litill as ane mowsc1515 (Id.) Asloan MS II. 141 heading. 1494 Loutfut MS. 18 a. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxii. 55.
The lamb than cheipit lyk a mows 1535 Stewart 40547.
Also fow and drokin as ane mous 1535 Ib. 54258.
Tha … fled fra hous till hous As fra ane cat dois ane chaissit mous 1567 Satirical Poems iii. 178.
War … I ane cat and sho ane lyttill mous a1605 Montg. Flyt. 13 i (H).
Polwart, ȝe peip like a mouse amongest thornesproverbs a1568 Bannatyne MS 135 a/37.
It makis a perte mows Ane vnhardy catt a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 762.
Shee is a sairie mouse that has but ane hole a1598 Ib. No. 92.plur. c1420 Wynt. vi. 1444.
Wyth myis [C. myse] he wes swa wmbesete That [etc.] c1420 Ib. 1450.
Thai myis [C. mysse] a1500 Henr. Fab. 1409 (Bann.).
A trip of mys a1500 Ib. 163 (Asl.). c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxix. 21.
Husbandis … Hes now no beist bot cattis and myce 1511 Edinb. Hammermen 73.
For to clos the lang kist … quhar the mys come in at the bodome 1531 Bell. Boece II. 450.
Mise and ratonis abundit with sic plente that [etc.] 15.. Christis Kirk 138 (M).
He mudlit thame doun lyk ony myse 1562 Knox VI. 172.
Yea … that god is a pray (if he be not wel kept) to rattes and mise a1568 Bannatyne MS 145 a/3.
Cattis ar cawtelus in taking of myis a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xviii. 57.
Myce 1602 Dundonald Par. Rec. 7.
The mys schur ane holl in the boddum of hir purs
b. Attrib. (in plur.) in myse-dirt, the droppings of mice. c. Comb. with the designation of a colour (= resembling the colour of a mouse).Also Mous-cullour, -collorit, -ere, -fall, etc.b. a1500 Henr. III. 152/73.
Annoyntit with nurice doung … Myngit with mysdirt and with mustart a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 539.
I wald I had as meikle pepper as he compts himself worthy myse dirtc. 1666 Irvine Mun. II. 204.
Ane mous broune colloured horse 1570 Edinburgh Testaments II. 79.
Foure elnis … of mousgray stamyn
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"Mous n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/mous>
