A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Pik-, Pyk(e)ry, -(e)rie, n. Also: pyc-; pyik-, pylkand -(e)ré, -(e)rye, -rey, -eirie. [e.m.E. pickerie (once, 1553), thereafter appar. only Sc. Cf. Pikk(e)ry n., Pekery n. Still in use in mod. Sc. as a legal term.]
1. Theft; esp., appar., petty theft or pilfering, pickery.(a) 1460 Ayr B. Ct. 12 July.
Thai that ar ordanit to pas of the town for pikre [transcr. pik] & reset 1488 Lanark B. Rec. i.
Jame Andro … Kethrin Andro fylit of pycry 1499 Exch. R. XI. 393.
Scab, waitht, lippir, pikry, thir ar the iiij hed punctis 1508 Crim. Trials I. i. 53. 1514 Wigtown B. Ct. 35 a.
For common pikre 1515 (c 1580) Edinb. B. Rec. I. 159.
Small theft or pykrie pvnist be being had to the trone and thair his lug to be takket thairto [etc.] 1523 Carnwath Baron Ct. (S.H.S.) 13, etc.
The inqueist quittis hym thairof & all pykre bygane 1535 Stewart 51555.
Sic pykrie that he had vsit lang 1539 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 9 Oct.
Na scab, waif, lypper nor pykrye 1550 Old Dundee II. 290.
Banishit this burgh for their demeirits, pykrye and reset and grite sumptuous spending be nicht 1574–5 Dunferm. B. Rec. II. 9.
Convict of pykrie and specialie for steilling of aittis and beir 1596 Paisley B. Rec. 182.
The offence … of pykry in intermixing of certane beir of Elizabeth Inglis with his 1602 Shetland Sheriff Ct. (ed.) 3. 1610 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 304.
The frequent pykrie and stouthis in the cuntrie 1611 Reg. Privy C. IX. 222.
The stouthis reiffis and pykrie committit … upoun hes majesteis goode subjectis 1638 Justiciary Cases II. 366.
Being dilaittit of commoun thift and pykrie in steilling and cutting of purssis(b) 1594–5 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 162.
Pyikrey(c) 1636 Rep. Sir Rob. Menzies MSS. 708.
Who … hes lived … vpon thift resset of thift pylkerie and oppressioun(d) 1529–30 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 19.
Bannist … for commone pikere 1531 Bell. Boece (M) II. 294.
Pykery 1567 Dundee B. Laws 372. 1569 Irvine Mun. I. 53. 1586–7 Elgin Rec. II. 6. 1649 Falkirk Baron Ct. 20 Feb.
Giltie of pykeirie 1671 Peebles B. Rec. II. 83.
For some pykerie committed be him 1675 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS. 20 Oct.
Pykerie
2. transf. a. Articles pilfered, collectively. Also ? b. Applied, by metonymy, to pilferers.1520 Stirling B. Rec. I. 5.
Ane commoun rasettar of pykry 1536 Linlithgow B. Ct. 6 Oct.
That na nychtboir resait pykerye nor geir suspect 1556–7 Crail B. Ct. MS. 19 March.
Off thyft of sik pykry 1621–2 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 30.
The stokkis to lay Duncan McKellar therein who was tane with pykrie —1615 Stirling B. Rec. I. 137.
Commoun hurderis of thiftis, pykries, adultereis and druckines
3. An act of pickery, a petty theft.1556 Stirling B. Rec. I. 67.
[She] hes committit syndry pykrijs sen the date of hir acting 1611 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 80.
The pykreis, thifts and other abuses committet at thair mylnis 1611 Dunferm. B. Rec. II. 84.
Unproffitable persouns livand … upon stouth, pykris and uthyr unlawfull meanis 1634 Thanes of Cawdor 280.
Pyikeries 1660 Ure Rutherglen 73.
The pykries … comitted be the gatherers of beir, peis and other cornes in hervest
