A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Spout, n. Also: spoute, spoutt, spouit, spowt, spowit, sput(t. [ME and e.m.E. spowt (1392, north.), spout (Lydgate), spowte (1474-5), OFlem. spuyte, Du. spuit. Cf. Norw. dial. sputa cuttle-fish.]
I. 1. A pipe or conduit for carrying away a. Rain-water. b. Other (semi-)liquid domestic waste from a building.a., b. 1504–5 Treas. Acc. II 474. 1516 Treas. Acc. V 80.
For burdis, planchour nalis, and tar, to be ane spout betwix twa chalmouris in the abbay Halyrudhous 1522 Old Dundee II 184.
[Each tenant] to mak a spout till set the rain by [so] that it do nae skaith to the lave of the werk 1551 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 110 (9 Nov.).
Becaus the said Johnis watter spout ran endlangis the said gawill & distendit in the said lordis clois … quhilk the said lord thogcht noysum … that the said Jhone sall caus the watter … to run southwart ower his awyn gallary … & the said Johnis spout to be raggalit in the said gawill ane insche deip 1562–3 Edinb. Old Acc. II 182.
Ane greit doubill plank to be ane spout abone the clarkis chalmer 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. II 194.
For ane suadin [pr. suachin] burd to be ane clois spout, to resist the dynt of the wynd that draife bak the watter under the eisingis of the sklattis 1590 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 400.
Caik leid to the tua new spouttis abone the new kirk 1597 (c1650) Dundee B. Laws 50.
It is statut … that all spouts and jawer stones placit in tenements vpon the hie streets and vennells … be … removit 1597 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 645.
A quarter of hemp hardis to be cuffing to the aisler stanes abone the spout 1597 Edinb. B. Rec. V 360.
To tua wrychtis to mak ane spout … for breking the wall … to let throw the spout … for seting of the punchoun to keep the watter in 1597 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 646.
To the calsay maker for calseing the fute of the spout 1616 Aberd. B. Rec. II 341.
With ane small spout in ilk chalmer to convoy the vrine throch the wall 1579, 1617 Despauter (1617) 17.
Lignum cavatum, a spout 1622–3 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 150.
In making of ane great clos spowt in my Lord Chancellaris ludgeing of thrie daill lenth 1656 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 502.
For a meikill spout of lead for the syd of Mr. Patrick Younges chamber 1669 Edinb. B. Rec. X 55.
The jawholl to be turned a litle northward be watter spout of timber or lead 1669 Edinb. B. Rec. X 55.
That … James Arbuckles aught to put ane lead spout to the said jawholl for convoyeing the foull water … to … mak the samen close at the head and cause the said spout to reach the full lenth within ane foot of the watergate 1675 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS 23 Oct.
Ordaines Robert Donaldson … to cloase wp his back door and spout and to remove his midding 1699 Thanes of Cawdor 393.
The sydwalls … to be made watertight with spouts and alrinn(b) 1512 Old Ross-shire II 56.
Spowtis 1515 Glasgow Chart. II 489.
[Kentigern Mortoun was ordered] to put up ane hewyn spowt of stayne in the est part of the said Mowngous bak wall 1543 Glasgow Chart. II 505.
Quhilk juges … ordanis the said Andro to put wp ane sufficient spowit of leid betuix Androis bakgavill and maister Marcus hous and gallery syde 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II 351.
For dichting of the gutteris and spowtis above the kirk(c) 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I 268.
Four botts to the sput above the goldsmythis buithis, and naills to thame … vj s. 1618 Elgin Rec. II 155.
Sputtis
c. attrib. With hoill (Hole n.) and Stane n.1570 Inverness Rec. I 186.
He had maid ane spoit hoill within his awin wall … for use of him self … and land —1611–12 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 330.
To Richard Huttone for biging up the wall of the new ranerouf of the chalmers besyd the well and laying ane gret spout stane at the mouth of it 1616–17 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 11.
For bringing doune the spout staneis to the steipill 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 114.
For dountaking the south gaivell of Wallace tour to the spout stainis to mak the hous langer viii lib.
2. A pipe or conduit whereby water is led from a source.1512 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III 109.
Anentis the … wphaldin of the said mylne … I [sc. Lord Sinclair] sall … wphald the haill stule the spout and the troich alanerly … the said Henry Martyne myllar sall … wphald … all uther graith 1604 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 39.
Helene Gib past to the spout of the Nather Mylne … and thair … keapit thrie sindrie droppis of watter out of the spout 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 15.
[They] hewed doun to the ground the spouttes of the compleaners said mylne [and then entering the said mill [etc.]] 1632 Lithgow Trav. vii 316.
Betweene the riuer and this pond there are sixe passages or spouts digged through the banke 1645 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 110.
For 4 crampitts to the spoutt of the damb 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 213.
For cuting of the crayg for leuelling of the spoutis to the mill ark 1646 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 240b.
Oncostt within the heuch … For meking off ane spout and water holl … 00:16:08 1648 Tulliallan Coal Wks. 67b.
For reding the spout to tak in brooe [= brine] 1662 Dalyell Darker Superst. 244.
Ane suddent blast of whirle wind, carried him headlong back to the East Mylne, and over the dame, that ere he was aworse he gripped the lill spout in his airme 1674 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 14 March.
For making 2 new spouts to the said stair 1680 Glasgow B. Rec. III 288.
Appoyntis the deane [etc.] … to sight the spout was made for quenching of fyre 1680 Fawside Coal Compt 68.
To the mester spout 02:14:6 1708 Stirling B. Rec. II 114.
That part of the Bridge Milne lead above the Raploch burne bridge where the spout is
b. An implement used in the dyer's trade, ? a means of conveying or carrying away water or other liquid used in the dyeing process.1548 Aberd. B. Rec. I 259.
[A litster's goods:] … certane wther varklummes sic as spowttis, spowcheouris [pr. spowtheouris] and cruikis 1565–6 Prot. Bk. Thomas Johnsoun 150.
[The use of his (litster) workshop and] fatt leid as thai standis with ane suay, ane burne staid, … ane ponchhoun and spouit 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 233b.
[In the testament of a litstar] Ane lang spout & tua schoirt spoutis estimat to xl s.
c. An implement used in brewing.1595 Invent. Castle Campbell in Argyll Mun. MS 21 Feb. (Old Argyll MS Inv.).
Item ane brewing sputt
d. In other uses. Also transf. or fig.a1538 Abell 106b.
Tua wemen ane at be ane hoill lut down meill to him the todir be ane spowt gaif hir palp mylk 1605-6 Welsh Forty-eight Serm. 468.
Faith … makes a golden spout through the riven side of Christ 1684 Law Memor. 177.
[An elephant with its trunk] jaes in the water in its mouth as from a great spout
e. The part of a fountain, etc. through which water (or wine) is supplied.1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 190.
Fra the … croce the wyne ran out at the spouttis in greit abundance c1600-1633 Johnston MS Hist. in Mill Mediæv. Plays 194. 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 15.
The prettiest machine … wheir was to be sein … above 300 spouts sending furth water … in sundry formes … as a spear … a feather [etc.]
f. transf. ? A length of pipe used to charge a gun.1600 Black Bk. Taymouth 336.
Tua spoutis of quhyte irne to charge the greit peces
II. 3. A well. Also in place names.1558 Glasgow Prot. II 50.
[The well commonly called] Sanct Mwngowis Spowtis 1585–6 Liber Scon 224.
The lands of Spoutwellis 1664 Glasgow B. Rec. III 36.
The tounes welles callit the spoutis
4. A forceful movement or discharge of water. a. ? Pelting rain. b. ? A cascade or waterfall or ? a swiftly-flowing stream. Also attrib. c. transf. A cascade of excrement. d. fig. Applied to a person. e. comb. In spout whale [cf. OFlem. spuyt-wal] a porpoise.a. c1554 Makeson Genesis (ed.) 12/27.
The heythest montanis wyth vattyrs war ourgaen The ark fleytand vpone the wawis imersing The spowttis of hewin var all at tanis owtran 1655 Lamont Diary (1810) 115.
All this was done by the violence and spoute [1830 speate] of the rayne waterb. 1534 Bamff Chart. 65.
The quhilk entries of the burn betwixt Ardorny and Little Bamff is callit the Spout of Bamff 1598 Glasgow Prot. XI 72.
[A kiln with barn and pertinents lying … beside … the bridge of] Gallogat burne … prope rivulos lie spowtisattrib. 1608 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 65.
Four aikeris of land with ane peax yaird callit the spout yaird, as ane parte … of the saidis land, quhilk yaird lyis betuixt the landis callit the Brummie daills on the eist and the burn on the westc. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 164/104.
For feir … he cawkit … He maid a hundreth nolt all hawkit Beneth him with a spowtd. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3201.
Fals gyglot gangland gill, thow poysonit spewand spoute. 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 290.
There were … two purpoises or spout whailes that ran up the River of Ness … where they were killed a1688 Wallace Orkney 17.
Many spout whales or pellacks which sometime run in great numbers upon the shore and are taken
5. A razor-fish. Also attrib. with fish.1526 Household Bks. Jas. V 66.
Speldingis … spoutis, merlingis 1591 Rec. Earld. Orkney 318.
Four casseis of coklis witht tua hundretht pintill fiches callit spowtis in augmentation of the rentall 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 73.
In time of Lent, the inhabitants find abundance of shell fishes, such as they call cullȝeoks, smirlings, cockles, spouts and muscells in this harbour 1661 Prince of Tartaria Voyage Cowper in Fife 2 in Reliq. Scot. v 3.
Mussellos, cockellos, spouteios, limpettos, lingoustos 1676 Edinb. B. Rec. X 285.
For ilk burding of … spouts trouts mussills oysters … and wilks sex pennies 1679 Craven Ch. in Orkney I 85.
[Persons were summoned for taking] spouts [sc. razor-fish] [on Sunday] 1681 Foulis Acc. Bk. 84.
For cockells and spouts 6 s. 1684 Sibbald Scot. Illustr. iii 27.
Sequuntur bivalves alterâ [etc.] … solen, the spoutattrib. c1590 Fowler II 193/29.
Lampets, … crabs, spout-fish 1633 (1711) Sibbald's Orkn. & Shetl. 74.
At the head of this bay, there is abundance of spout fish, in time of Lent 1684 Symson Descr. Galloway 93.
On the sands of Luce, they get abundance of the long-shell'd fish, call'd the spout-fish
