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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Polist, -eist, ppl. adj. Also: -iste, -yst, -iz'd. [Late ME and e.m.E. polysshid (Hoccleve), polished, also pulsched (c 1400), pullisshyd (Skelton), f. Polis v. Cf. Polit(e adj.]

1. That has been polished; made smooth and shiny by friction.Also in fig. context.(1) a1400 Leg. S. l 107.
Manis werk … Thu ma se in templis sere … Schenand thru gold & polist stanys c1420 Wynt. iv 1891.
Symulacrys … Massy, grete, welle polyst syne, Made off gold and sylvyr fyne c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 506.
[Bucephalus] as milk his hair was quhyte, Weill maid behind, weill polist, in gude plyte a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 708.
Throw platis of polist steill thair poyntis can pase c1500 Fyve Bestes 60.
Of polist gold c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxv 62.
Imperatrice Brycht polist precious stane 1513 Doug. i ix 23.
The quhite polist marbill stane Ib. vi xv 114.
The tother port is forgit … Of eliphantyne and polist evor quhite 1531 Bell. Boece II 90.
Ane bischoppis seit … biggit with square and polist stanis(b) (1593) Henr. Test. Cress. 348.
Ane poleist glas 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1419.
All maner fisches … War keipit in pondis of poleist siluer schene Ib. 1452. 1535 Stewart 32971. Ib. 50309. 1587-99 Hume 27/72.(c) 1609 Garden Garden 8.
With pyrameids, of poliz'd porphir proud(2) fig. Arundel MS. 298/7.
Thou polist gem without offence

2. transf. and fig. a. Of persons or their appearance: Bright, beautiful; ? adorned, embellished (cf. Polis v. 2). b. Of language: Refined, cultured, elegant; ? embellished, beautified.a. a1400 Leg. S. l 769.
& schaw hir poliste fare & schene, That forhungerit [he] wenede had bene ?1438 Alex. ii 1212.
Fezonas … That is baith ȝing and auenand, Fare, poleist and plesand Ib. 2378.
In hir visage polist clere 1456 Hay II 56/20.
And … quynte clething and joly polist corps, falsate [etc.] … is agayne the ordre of knychthede and all gude thewisb. a1400 Leg. S. xxviii 141.
With wordis quhyle polyst & clere 1513 Doug. i Prol. 34.
Stra for thys ignorant blabryng imperfyte Besyde thy polyst [v.rr. polyte, poleist] termys redymyte Ib. ix Prol. 67.
All thocht my termys be nocht polist allway 1535 Stewart 64.
The termis poleist ar perfyte, Of eloquence in rycht plesand indyte