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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.

Preci(o)us, Preti(o)us, adj. Also: preci(o)us(s)e, -iouxe, -ios, -ieous, -iows, -y(o)us, -yows, -eous, preacious; pretiouse, -ioux, -ieux, -yows, pratious; prisious. [ME and e.m.E. precious(e (c 1290), -ios(e, -ius, e.m.E. also pretious (1578), OF precios (mod. F. précieux), L. pretiōsus.] Precious.

1. Of great price; having a high value; costly. a1400 Leg. S. xii 249.
The Magdalayne … brocht a preciuse vnyment, Til ennownte hyme Ib. xvi 111.
Precius c1400 Troy-bk. ii 753, 755 (C).
And all thar ryches preciouse … And preciouse thynges all had away c1420 Wynt. vii 2077 (R).
All the jowellis pretyows [C. preciousse, W. precius] Off seculare or relygyows [etc.] Ib. iii 830.
Precyous [C. preciousse] 1456 Hay II 128/28.
Grathit with precious jowalis Ib. 122/3, etc. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 5709.
Ouresett with stanis of pretius perry a1500 Henr. Fab. 69 (Makc.).
Precius 1490 Irland Mir. I 154/11.
The ark … maid of noble and precius burdis Ib. MS fol. 239 a.
As the noble balme that is myngit with the oile is precius in odoure sauour and suetnes a1500 Colk. Sow ii 233.
Thairfoir hald nocht pennyis our pretious a1500 K. Hart 100.
So precious that it prysit wes but peir 1491 Acts II 230/1.
& vtheris prisious jowellis to grete avale 1492 Myll Spect. 275/15.
Lyk as the precius entyrmentis prouokis men to the syn of lechory c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 374 (Ch. & M.).
In precius [pr. precnis] wedis 1513 Doug. i xi 35.
The precyus mantill Ib. ii xii 7.
Precyus geir Ib. ix vi 120.
And mekill precyus war a1538 Abell 70 a.
For our precius clething Ib. 113 a.
He gart mak the gret & precius eucharist 15.. Clar. v 1626.
Pretious 1563-72 Ferg. Tracts 42.
Nor cast any mo of our pretious pearles before your filthy swyne 1582–3 Perth B. Ct. 1 March.
With preceous perlis and stanis 1596 Dalr. I 7/7.
And mony pretious things of woll are mekle helpet c1610 Melville Mem. 315.
Gold and pretioux fourringis 1633 Justiciary Cases I 215.
Set with diuers pretious diamondis or rubeiscompar. 1603 Philotus lx.
As purest gold is preciouser nor glasse

b. Freq., precious stane (stone), a gem.For precious jowell, see preceding section. a1400 Leg. S. vi 278.
With brycht & schenand preciuse stanys, As sardiane, topias fyne c1420 Wynt. v 720.
The byggyng … anowrnyd was, … Wytht sylvyr, gold, and precyows stane c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 80.
Precious c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 1866.
Precius 1494 Loutfut MS. 10 b.
A rycht worthy precious stane callit the topasse 1502 Treas. Acc. II 149.
To mak precious stanes c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxv 62.
Empryce of prys … Brycht polist precious stane 1513 Doug. i ix 136.
Precyus stonys 15.. Clar. iii 1147.
Pretiouse 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Æn. i 654.
And pretious steanis a1578 Pitsc. I 359/24.
Sett witht pratious stouns Ib. II 6/6.
Precieous 1602 Colville Paraenese 115.
Pretieux 1622-6 Bisset II 435/17.
Preacious

2. Of great moral, spiritual or other non-material worth.Freq. said of the body or the blood of Christ.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i 232.
I ame … Goddis … precious hurde c1400 Troy-bk. ii 206 (D).
O thing full mekle werteous Ande for to seyne rytht preciouse c1420 Wynt. v 5319.
Men ar … Throwch Crystys passyowne precyows boucht Ib. 5304. c1420 Ratis R. 1790. c1450 Cr. Deyng (S.T.S.) 11.
Fore ded … is mar preciouxe and worthy c1450-2 Howlat 109 (A).
I haue appelit to ȝour presence precious & pure 1456 Hay II 114/7.
Thy hele, the quhilk is … maist preciouse for thé [etc.] Ib. 133/13.
It is a precious thing to be of gude abstinence and [etc.] Ib. 142/21. 1490 Irland Mir. I 46/6.
Sa precious is it our all medicyne agayn poysoun 1494 Loutfut MS. 32 a.
& of him sprang precious & noble vertues c1500-c1512 Dunb. l (O.U.P.) 168. 1513 Doug. i Prol. 23.
Sa precyus wordys deir 1533 Gau 84/33.
Oder papis prayers hes beyne haldine mair precious na our lord Iesus Christis prayer 1533 Boece 371 b.
Kenneth causit the fatale chyare … be brocht … to Gowrye … as an precios jowell 1549 Compl. 1/5.
The precius germe of ȝour nobilite Arundel MS. 252/405.
Thi precius name a1568 Bann. MS. I p. 6/12.
Thow art till Him most deir, Most pretius and principale but peir Ib. 33 b/3.
Thy precius crewell woundis 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 23.
As ane maist pretious thesaure quhilk seruis not onlie for preseruatioun fra the pest [etc.] 1588 King Cat. App. 26 b.
To hawe died ane maist pretious deathe 1602 Colville Paraenese Ep. 37.
To hurd vp … so pretieux a iouell [sc. the Catholic religion] vithin [etc.] 1644 11th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. vi 55.
Thinking on that is more pratious(2) a1450 Fifteen Ois 255.
With thi precius blude 1456 Hay I 105/3.
With his awin precious blude Ib. 157/15. 1490 Irland Mir. I 123/31. ?a1500 Dewoit Exerc. 109.
Ȝour precius body c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix 145.
Thy precious feit to kiss Ib. 151.
Thy precious body in breist or I ressaif 1535 Stewart 50902.
Pretius a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 114/12, etc.
Precious 1561 St. A. Kirk S. 81.
Preciows 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 385.
This giltines of Christis pretious bodie and bluid 1600-1610 Melvill 363.
Pretius

b. Applied to persons: Worthy, noble, estimable. c1450-2 Howlat 81 (A).
That is the plesant pacok precious & pure Ib. 524 (B).
And pete of the pretius [A. prys] knycht that wes in pane thore 1456 Hay II 77/5.
The soveraine precious God almychti mot conferme thee a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1127.
The king precious in pane a1500 Seven S. 1620.
Virgile that precious clerk but peire c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxi (O.U.P.) 33.
O precius mergreit c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii 953.
Thy actis pensit the far mair precious