A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Posterio(u)r, adj. (adv.) and n. [e.m.E. (1534), L. posterior, compar. of posterus or poster, coming after, following, future (f. L. post prep. = after), F. postérieur (15th c. in Hatz.-Darm.).]
A. adj.
a. Later in time; subsequent. Also ellipt. and adv. b. fig. (To be) more backward than (to) others in doing something. c. Hinder.a. (1) 1592 in Montg. Suppl. 314.
Quhilk restitutioun … could not be tane away be ony interpretatioun in this posteriour parliament 1610 Misc. Spald. C. II 95.
Be ony posterior tytle of baillerie or regalitie 1626 Justiciary Cases I 48.
Quilk is explanet be the posteriour act following thairupoun [infra the subsequent act] Ib. 52.
Sua tua depositiones posteriour and mair soleme and suorne aucht to tak away the first 1641 Misc. Bann. C. II 256.
Never to doe any posteriour fact or deid … quhilk may be hurtfull … to the premisses 1692 Rothesay Par. Rec. 88.
Without respect to their posterior marrying(2) 1598 Crim. Trials II 47.
The haill circumstances sett doun in the former act … to be repeittit in the posteriour 1672 Rothesay B. Rec. 239.
Considering the seasing … is posterior to the uther seasing … the mater of ten yeirs(3) adv. 1628–9 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 61.
Being daittit posterior of hir convictiounb. 1626 Insh Colonial Schemes 65.
I, being loth to be posteriour to any of our number in furthering that noble workc. 1632 Lithgow Trav. ii 52.
The belly of the one joyned with the posterior part of the other
B. noun.
a. Put for the Posterior Analytics of Aristotle. b. plur. The rear or hinder parts of the body; the buttocks. (After late L. posteriora.) At (someone's) posteriors, at his rear, behind his back. c. coll. (One's) successors in office, collectively.a. 1490 Irland Mir. I 62/5.
As writis … Arestotiles in the secund buk of the posterior and the first buk of methaphesikb. 1609 Kinghorn Kirk S. 17.
For hir contemptuous behauiour usit to her pastour … in jeasting at his posteriours and also [etc.] 1619 Drummond Wks. (1711) 225.
A poor pedantick schoolmaster sweeping his living from the posteriors of little childrenc. 1599 J. Finlayson Acc. Life and Works of P. Lowe (Glasg., 1889) 67.
Ordaining you … to assist … the saidis visitouris, and their posterior, professouris of the foresaidis artis
