A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1399-1625
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Odour(e, n. Also: odor(e, -ire, -yre, -ere. [ME. (13th c.) and e.m.E. odur, odo(u)r, AF. odour, OF. odor, odur, L. odor.]
1. Odour, scent, smell, but chiefly fragrant or aromatic scent, sweet smell, or an instance of these.The usual verb (= ‘smell’) is Fele v. 1 b.Also fig.sing. a1400 Legends of the Saints xvi. 114.
Til al the place Fulfillyt of that odyre was a1400 Ib. xli. 7.
& of his odoure thru the smel Tha ryse agane that deid can fel a1400 Ib. xliii. 173.
Odire a1400 Ib. 182.
Odere c1420 Ratis Raving 155. c1420 Ib. 158.
Quhilk is weil-smeland suet odore And quhilk is stinkand aire vnpure c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vi. 13.
With oyle and balm fullfillit off suet odour a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 1389.
I fele The odour of a growand tre c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 33.
Fragrant all full of fresche odour fynest of smell c1500-c1512 Id. xlviii. 136. 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 142.
Redolent odour vp from rutis sprent 1513 Ib. vi. x. 74. c1510 Prester John 311 b.
Vnicornis … may be tane be na way bot be the odour of ane virgene c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii. 850. 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 21.
Quharin rew hes bene stepit, takand the odoure of the saminfig. 1531 Bell. Boece I. xii.
My werk … dois the saule fra all corruptioun dicht With odoure dulceplur. 1456 Hay II. 122/8.
For gude odouris reconfortis the hert and the body a1500 Henr. Fab. 1333 (H).
With sweit odouris and birdis harmony 1490 Irland Mir. I. 58/22.
Rosis, lilleis … and all manere of colouris, sauouris and precius odouris for our dilectacioune 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1428. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 764.
The sweit hailsum arromatyke odouris c1552 Id. Mon. 829. 1570 Satirical Poems xv. 12.
b. Also, an unpleasing or foul smell. — 1513 Doug. xii. x. 94.
Swa heir the laithly odor rais on hycht From the fyre blesis
2. a. A sweet-smelling substance, a perfume, scent. b. A fragrant plant or flower.a. 1562 Treasurer's Accounts XI. 226.
To Robert Hendersone, chirugen, for expensis maid … upoun spicis, vinagre … pulderis, odouris … and for his laubouris in the handeling of the said Erle of Huntleis bodie that it suld nocht putrefie a1578 Pitsc. I. 359/26.
The hallis and challmeris was all perfumit with sueit odouris quhilk was werie costlie 1625 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 377.
Perfumes, sueit wateris and odouris for your maiesteis presenceb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 6.
Lusty May … Had maid the birdis to begyn thair houris Amang the tendir odouris reid and quhyt
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"Odour n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/odoure>
