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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.

Squar(e, v. Also: sqair, skwair. P.p. also squrid. [ME and e.m.E. square (Wyclif), sqware (Trevisa), OF esquarrer.]

1. a. Of timber: To cut or trim so as to produce a square or rectangular cross-section. b. Of a sword: To finish in a square-shaped form. c. Of stone: To dress in the form of a square-shaped block. d. Const. out: To make in a square or rectangular form.a. 1503–4 Treas. Acc. II 275.
To the wrichtis that squarit the tymir in the Hieland 1552 Old Dundee II 125.
The cuppils to be squarit frae the nether baulk down for syling 1642 Fam. Innes 169.
For squaring and playning my gestisb. 1623 Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 190.
Ane … edgid bled squrid at the pointc. 1676 Glasgow Chart. II 186.
Ane wall … of hewin stone, skwaird and broachtd. 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 443.
This pallace standeth alone and founded upon the skirt of a … hill … , squared out from a deualling steepnesse

2. Passing into fig. use. To regulate, set to rights, order, adjust, align, specif. a. Of land, estates. b. Of affairs, doctrine, etc. Cf. also Squaring vbl. n. (2).a. 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 110/89.
God himself did leuell just The allees with his lyne … He squared [v.r. sqaired] a yard, and als he did, Plant [etc.] 1631 Bk. Carlaverock II 48.
The barons' part, which is a two part of the half, should rule and square the other two estates 1696 Inchaffray Reg. 140.
To … ditch the said Pow as also to divide and appropriat the samine with any parcells of the adjacent land be necessary to square marches among the saids adjacent heritors and to repair any loss that any of them shall sustainb. c1650 Spalding I 257.
Willing, therefore, thair nightbour kingdome nocht to square there doingis be the Englishe lawis a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 80.
It's a good way to square folks hatred and zeal so, as it degener not into passion a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 200.
The conscience … is the native rule by which a true gift is discerned and squared a1658 Durham Comm. Rev. 261.
Application would rather be squared to the edification of the hearer than simply and only regulated by the doctrine that it riseth from 1674 Craven Ch. in Orkney 60.
He should make it his labours to square all his doctrine … conforme to that book