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.
Puissant, adj. Also: pus(s)ant; -and. Compar. puisanter. [Late ME and e.m.E. puis(s)ant (a1450), puys(s)a(u)nt(e (c1510), pusaunt (a1533), OF poissant (Godef. Compl.), F. puissant. Cf. Pissant adj.] Powerful, mighty.
1. Of a ruler or ecclesiastical potentate or of the power wielded by one of these.(1) 1549 Lamb Resonyng 5/15.
Begun … be the puissant prince, King Henry the Aucht 1558 Acts II 507/2.
The said maist excellent and puissant prince king doulphin of France 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6140.
Ȝone greit puissant king 1587 Carmichael Etym. 8.
Dynastes, a puissant man c1590 J. Stewart 41/413.
The puissant sacripant c1590 Fowler II 80/14.
Whow euer puissant was Antiochus Ib. 84/11.
The pouar of a puissant pape(b) c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 44.
It nowthair sparis king nor empriour, Duke, erll, lord, nor pussant conquyrour 1622-6 Bisset II 387/32.
Pusant(2) 1567 G. Ball. 216.
Tiberius the empriour … Loste his pomp and puissant power
2. Of a magnate within a community.1494 Loutfut MS 35b.
As a noble man & puissant of gret wecht 1540 Crim. Trials I i 228.
Feiring thame seluis, gif ane factius puissant man, ignominiuslie vsid, sould escaip scot-frie 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 11.
As for the nobilitie … some ar grit men and puissantcompar. 1592 Cal. Sc. P. X 827.
[Yet of a beggar he has made himself] puisanter [than any two earls in this realm]
3. Of a nation. Also, militarily powerful. Also said of an army.(1) 1533 Bell. Livy I 14/24.
To resist the rage and terroure of sa pussant inemyis Ib. 156/28.
That the samyn made the Romanis mare pussant than afore 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. 233/11.
As for Europe … the maist puissant contrey thairof makis publik profession of our Christiane Catholik and Romane faith 1622-6 Bisset II 188/14.
The unjust invasionis … of sua mychtie and pusant persewaris in sa mony crowall … battellis(b) 1533 Bell. Livy I 53/24.
Thay ar mekil pussand be land and mekil mare be the seyis(2) 1570 Leslie 213.
So puissant ane army of Inglismen
4. Of God or Christ or their attributes, or of the Gospel.1549 Compl. 125/20.
The clemens of the maist merciful and puissant diuyne plasmator 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 198. 1556 Knox IV 134.
For the more that it be entreted, the more comfortable and puissant [v.r. mair puissant] is it [the Gospel] to such as do … exercise the same 1558-66 Knox II 83.
To the loving of the maist puissant Lord 1570 Sat. P. xiv 113.
Thy puissant power I implorde That [etc.]
5. a. Physically strong. b. Also said of a ship (cf. Pissant adj. 2 a).a. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 2018.
The forcie puissant Hercules sa bald 1560 Rolland Seven S. 9866.
Ȝour puissant pith [and stait] that was sa stoutb. c1575 Balfour Pract. 639.
To gar mak and uphald gude, greit, strong and puissant vessellis and shippis
