A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1540-1638
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0]
Peruse, v. Also: par- and -us, -wuys, -ewsse. [e.m.E. peruse (1479). Cf. med. L. peruti to use up (1317 in Latham), also Pervise v.]
1. To use up. a1561 Norvell Meroure 28 b.
The giftes thou me gaue I haue abused And contrare thy command haue them parused
2. To read through carefully; to examine thoroughly; to consider in detail. 1540 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries II. 392.
The baillies to require the maister of the college to perwuys and correct the faltis within it a1585 Maitland Quarto MS lxxxiv. 2.
Let thame the same [book] peruse with diligence a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1057 (Wr.).
For all the proverbs wee perusde Yee thought them skantly skild 1590 Cal. Sc. P. X. 411.
To the end ye may beathe parewsse and aquent her majestie with the same c1600 Montg. Suppl. iv. 22.
Present it Sua that ȝe wald reid and pervs it 1638 Henderson Serm. 480.
It is a strange thing of us that we cannot learn to peruse our weapons right in this warfare and even a principal one of them whilk is the word of God
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Peruse v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/peruse>
