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

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First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Ras(e, Raz(e, v.¹ Also: rais(e, rays. [ME (Wyclif) and e.m.E. rase, race, raze, raise, rayse (1590), F. raser.]

1. tr. To scratch or tear (the flesh); to cut, slash or tear (clothing). a1400 Leg. S. xxix 437.
& dang his handis on his face, & his flesch don cane rase a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 986.
Thus raithly the riche berne rassit his array a1500 Rauf C. 550.
Rais a1500 Bk. Chess 1534.
Spwryno … with a lance his fair face he rast

2. To remove or erase (writing) by scraping or scratching (furth of, out (of) a text or document).Also, once, to raze out.(1) 1542 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV 333.
The said Johne rasit the said wourd masculis 1561 Wigtownshire Chart. 54.
With his awin hand [he] raisit ane lyne and ane half of the said chartour and causit me to raise the laif 1585 Acts III 384/2.
That all the foirsaidis sentences of foirfaltour … salbe raisit furth of his hienes … actis of parliament to the effect that na memorie remane thairof heireftir 1587 Rec. Earld. Orkney 312.
The samin to be deleit and rasit furth of his lordships bukis 1588 King Cat. in 1573-1600 Cath. Tr. 216/16.
Sinnes that maye be done by notaires. … To raise the diett of ane instrumente 1665 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II 52.
Razed 1679 Lauder Notices Affairs I 219.
They … ordained him … to raze the said Act out of the Shireff Court books(2) 1674 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV 149.
He … razed out the said umquhill David his name

3. To alter (a writing) by erasure (in the part erased).(1) 1429 Acts II 17/2.
Swa that thai [sc. breves] … be nocht rasit na blobit in suspect placis c1575 Balfour Pract. 382.
The Lordis … may decern … ony … writ, to be false … gif the samin manifestlie be razit in the dait, or ony uther substancial punct 1622-6 Bisset I 295/8.
Considder gif the breve be rased, or interlyned in any place or pairt a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 154.
The lords fand … ane seaseing null becaus it wes rased in substantiali loco, viz. in the subscriptione of the nottar(2) 1465 Misc. Spald. C. V 392.
Ane letter of assidation … nocht rayssit nather ȝeit schorin, nather any part off it faulty 1549 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) Aikman v. Anderson.
Fra the first tua or thre wordis of the begyning it hes bene all deplumit and raisit

4. To rase down (a house), to demolish, pull down. 1661 Old Ross-shire I 310.
That both the houses above the old larachs of the Dargan be rased down