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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.

Ourcum, v. Also: oure-, owr-; o'r(e)- and -cume, -come, -cumm-, -comm-. P.t. -com(e, -came. P.p. -cum(m)in(e, -cum(m)yn(e, -yng, -commyn(e; -cum(e, -come, -came; -cumm(e)d, -cumd. [Sc. var. of Overcum.]

1. tr. To overcome, get the better of, conquer, vanquish, master, subdue. a. An opponent, adversary, defended place, etc.In or by battle, argument, persuasion, torment or temptation or resistance to these, etc. Also, to defeat in a race or in a legal action.(1) (a) 1375 Barb. v. 86.
Quhethir he mycht ourcum his fa Throu strynth or throu sutelte Ib. viii. 159. a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 408.
Weman … with wordis cane rycht wele Our-cum mene hard as stele Ib. xxvii. 342.
His ourmen be sutelte … He wald ourecume Ib. xi. 204. c1420 Wynt. v. 5333. 14.. Edinb. Univ. MS. La.ii.318.
That Moyses ourcome apertly Amalech Godis inymy … And nocht throu batel bot throu prayer c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 163.
And he that can weill eschef thir twa [temptations] … ourcumys the deuil Ib. 205. 1456 Hay I. 163/34.
That his nychtbour ourcome him with suteltee Ib. II. 19/15.
Be force of armes to vencus and ourecum his inymyes a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 348. c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 39/19.
To serue God and ourcum the enemy Ib. 45/8.
It helpis ws to ourcum our enemys bath spirituale or corporall 1513 Doug. v. iv. 45.
That lady … ourcummis all hire enemys be hir gracious swetnes; Porteous Noblenes 179/12 (Asl.). Gyas schyp thar by to ourcum wenyng Ib. vii. xiii. 128; etc. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 117. c1590 Fowler I. 31/122.(b) 1375 Barb. ix. 659 (E).
Ourcome a1400 Leg. S. ix. 150.
That he ourcome the feynd vysly Ib. xxii. 19.
Fore he oure-come wel Decyum & his tormentis Ib. xxviii. 457, xxxvii. 390. c1420 Wynt. viii. 198.
Ourecome c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 57.
Marterys … our-come thar ennemys by paciens and ferme faith 1513 Doug. v. vii. 18.(c) 1375 Barb. iii. 438.
Worthi Ferambrace That worthily our-cummyn was Throw … Olywer a1400 Leg. S. xxxi. 8.
Hou the feynde ma ourcumyne be Be contryt harte Ib. xxxiii. 589.
Dacyane … wes sa fully mate & ourecumyne for al his mycht Ib. xxxvii. 396.
Sancte Vincent tormentit ves … bot he For ony payne mycht nocht ourcumine be c1420 Wynt. iii. 412.
Our-cummyn 1456 Hay I. 59/9.
Ourcummyn Ib. II. 61/11.
Our cumyn 1490 Irland Mir. I. 86/29.
And first he tempit the woman for he knew that sche mycht be sonare ourcummyne than the man Ib. 136/33. c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 322.
Julius Ceasare, eftir that he hade ourcumyng with force France and Ireland c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 325.
Quhen I the cure had all clene, and him ourcummyn haill Id. xxxviii. 38.
The feild is win, ourcumin is the fo 1513 Doug. xii. i. 75.
And netheles I venquyst cleyn but weir … Ourcummyn be hir wofull terys and syte Ib. i. i. 86. (c 1520) Troy-bk. ii. 1268 (C).
Ourcommyn(b) 1513 Doug. i. i. 70.
As clene ourcum Ib. xi. Prol. 122.
Thame [who] lyst be ourcum Ib. xii. x. 44. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1268 (D).
Oure-come c1520-c1535 Nisbet Prol. 2.
Lyke as quhen Dauid had ourecum grete Goliath a1538 Abell 19 a.
Bot eftir the wiolence of the tempill he wes euir our cum 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. ii. 37.
O'rcume, I humbly ȝeild 1626 Garden Worthies 16.
Without adventuring I … A conq'ror now, o'recame & captive than(c) c1590 Fowler I. 45/222.
And with the bewtye of a face ourcummed and contrould(2) 14.. Acts I. 362/2.
Gif he that is folowyt beis ourcumin he sal ansuer [etc.] 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 25.
Gif thai be ourcumyne the lord sal tyn the seruice & the tennand his lande

b. With non-material object and fig. 1375 Barb. vii. 354 (E).
That nobill hart … is hard till ourcum throw maystry a1400 Leg. S. iii. 533.
That ȝe stutly ma our-cum Warldly anoys Ib. ix. 152.
Quhene his visdome the fendis arte Had ourcumyne Ib. xxxvii. 392.
& in the fyr ourcome he & ourcome castine in the se ?1438 Alex. ii. 6624.
For vther way sall neuer … His wening ourcummin be c1420 Wynt. v. 3635. c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 188.
He that vald weill ourcum this temptacione 1456 Hay I. 110/29.
The apostle Paule biddis us … ourcum malicewith vertu of pacience Ib. II. 57/6.
That he suld thole his worthi curage of knychthede be ourcummyn with vicis Ib. /20.
For quhy, the gredynes of gude blyndis thair hye curage … that it ourecummys the force that suld vencus his inymy with Ib. 25/19. c1490 Porteous Noblenes 175/25 (Asl.).
Or covatis suld ourcum his hie honour Ib. 183/27.
Thow ourcummis all thing be thi sekere constance c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts vii. 51 marg. 1551 Hamilton Cat. 117. 1568 Skeyne Pest 15.
To … support [nature] quhair it … apperis to be ourcum 1580 Hay Cath. Tr. (S.T.S.) 67/17.
And the yettes of hell sell nocht owrcome it c1590 Fowler I. 24/14.
My watching eyne orcumd [v.r. o'rcummd] through sleip at lenth

c. absol. To gain the victory, conquer, triumph. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvii. 386, 7.
Sanct Vincent ourcom alvais For in herd payne ay ourcom he Ib. xxxii. 35. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1257 (C).
Vlixes … ourcommys [D. ourcummis] … thrught arte fallas of spekynges 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 24.
Quhat is the law gif the tennande ourcumis 1513 Doug. vi. xiv. 84.
And ȝonder Curyus … In batel sal ourcummyn and dovne thryng a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. xli. 113.
With patience I wald richt faine ourcum

d. Only in Hay: To digest (food). — 1456 Hay II. 118/9.
Gif a man ware of stark complexioun … the nature is mare vaporable and of better digestioun to corrump and bray the metis and ourcum thame Ib. 126/10.
The stomak … quhen it ressavis mare na it was wont to, that remaynis in the stomak undegest and rawe. For the stomak … may nocht ourcum it in the tyme

2. To obtain or have ascendancy over, to dominate. a1538 Abell 40 b.
Quhilk herrice ourcome … Cerile, Bischop of Alexander a1568 Scott xxx. 13.
Thair curage sa ourcumis thair cors Thrwcht heit of blude it hes sic fors

b. P.p. Overpowered, strongly affected (with or by some emotion or the like). Arundel MS. 281/93.
Be my hope in tyme of ded that I be nocht ourcumin with disperacioun c1590 Fowler I. 67/19.
Yf now I be by lowe ourcum 1611-57 Mure Early Misc. P. ii. 4.
The cooling air … rejoyses To sport hir with hir locks, o'rcume with wonder

3. To ‘go beyond’; to outweigh; to surpass, excel.But some examples may equally belong to sense 1 b. 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 116.
That cunnand ourcumis the law 1456 Hay II. 145/22.
And be justice the kingis and princis ar ordaynit to governe realmes and peple for justice ourcummys all othir thingis a1568 Scott xix. 25.
Paciens ourcumis all And is ane vertew principall 1562-3 Winȝet II. 25/22.
Gif he micht ourcum safer al the rest be deuotioun of fayth Ib. 48/6.
Sa gentil ingyne that almaist he gretumlie and fer ourcome al wtheris

4. intr. To ‘come round’ or ‘come to’ (from (of) a swoon); to recover consciousness.This sense appar. chiefly Sc. 1375 Barb. xviii. 134 (E).
Schir Philip of his desynes Ourcome a1500 Henr. Orph. 283 (Ch. & M.). c1475 Wall. x. 389.
Or he our-com a1500 Sir Eger 208.
When I o'rcame he was away Ib. 430. a1500 Bk. Chess 1728. a1540 Freiris Berw. 575.