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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tast(e, Taist(e, n. Also: teast, test. [ME and e.m.E. tast (Manning), taste (Piers Plowman), taist (Wyclif), OF tast(e.]

1. Touch, feel; the sensation derived from touching or feeling. a1500 Seven S. 2428.
He … on hir merwalit all thar maist For him thocht baith be woce & taist It was his awne wyf werraly

b. The act of touching; hostile contact. c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 25/7.
I wes tane withouttin test And led furth as a presoneir

2. An instance of trying; an attempt, venture. 1460 Hay Alex. 16693.
With that out of the toun thare come in haist Wele v or vij thousand in a taist [ed. caist]

3. The act of tasting, the fact of consuming something by way of food or drink. Chiefly fig. or in fig. context with reference to receiving spiritual sustenance or awareness.(a) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 320, 323 (Harl.).
Men suld in to thare tendir age In vertu … haue vsage The quhilk … Incressand … Ay of the taist growis new appetyte. And corporale fude hes nocht that qualite Off quhilk the abstinence causis appetyte And of the taist followis tediosite c1552 Lynd. Mon. 275.
Quharefor in steid of the mont Pernaso Swyftlie I sall go … To Mont Caluare … To gett ane taist of that moist fresche fontane Arundel MS 252/396.
Thai that celibraitis that … sacrament and resauis it in plane faith … find grace and marcy. And for me, wraichit synner, I mekelie beseikis thé, quhen I sall haue ane taist of thi sueit vnioun and deuocioun … that I may be fulfillit and fed 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1475.
Sa sone as he of this frute gat ane taist, Of all seiknes he wald be haill in haist a1651 Calderwood V 559.
Lett us labour our owne hearts to bring them to a true sense and feeling of sinne; … Lett us strive in prayer to bring our selves to a taist of a groaning and brokin spirit(b) a1568 Bann. MS 139b/7.
Ȝone are sowttaris … To heir thair hairsnes … Off moltin tauche thay tak a test On Monondayis at morn 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 202.
The spreit of God entering in the hart of his servantis, gives thaim sic ane teast of his power … and ane sicht of his judgmentis that with thame the enemies of God and his kirke are … but compted as dust

b. A small quantity or sample, designed merely to give a flavour or savour (of something). 15… Aberd. B. Rec. (Jam.).
And send one taist of the wyne to the yerll of Rothes

c. fig. A slight experience of something, an indication, hint, inkling. 1563 Cal. Sc. P. II 78.
We have not onlie at the veray first geven him sum taist of oure gudewill in the favorable receaving of him & hearing of his peticionis 1563 Ferg. Tracts 34.
Sum yet I will produce, to giue the readers a teast of the rest [sc. of St. Augustine's works] 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 226.
[Which had bred such despair among us, that if we had not heard some] taist [of your disposition to alter that course, their doubt had almost been incurable] 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. (1590) Sig. S 2a, b (Jam.).
The heart gets a taist of the swetnes that is in Christ … quhilk taist is the only arlis-penny of that full and perfite joy 1638 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 185.
Now, consider whither ye will heare a little tast of their answer till the rest be ryper for the presse

4. The sense of taste. b. transf. Applied to other functions associated with the tongue. c1420 Ratis R. 188.
The ferd wertew … is the taist of manis mouth That mais defferens … Betuex suetnes and vthir thinge 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 167/4.
[Sauces] serue only for pleasing of the taiste & not for satisfeing of the appetiteb. c1420 Ratis R. 195.
Ȝhit-than thar is ane-vthir taist Suld nocht dispendit be in waist. That is the office of thi tunge That seruice thé … To schaw quhat is thine entent

5. The flavour or savour (of something) as perceived by the taste organs. Also fig. and proverb. 1580 Skeyne Descr. Well Sig. A 3.
Be the happy succes in cure of diuers disesis in this watter, quhairof the taist is sumquhat vnplesand a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 68.
Thair [sc. in Heaven] reweris rwine of lyffe, Heir standin pwillis of mwid The taist quharof infectis the sawll, And poysonis fles and blwid 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Sapor, a taist or smack 1596 Dalr. I 28/4.
Forth … by abundance of salmonte fishe that it hes, abundes in sum vthiris kyndes of fishe in smacke and plesand taste 1596 Dalr. I 40/4.
In colour and taste sche [sc. the bustard] is nocht vnlyke the pertrik a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 1679.
Ane comparison of ane book with cheeiss … Al sortis eat cheiss … All sortis read books … The sight, taste, scent of chees to som is hateful The sight, tast, scent of books to soms vngratfull 1643 Dalyell Darker Superst. 266.
Quhen they chaingit the same with their neighbouris, it was fund sufficient without any evill taist 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 46.
Theirs 700 several sorts of peirs that grows in France, al distinguasble be the tast 1685 Dunlop P. III 16.
The teast of the lyen of the fiesh is just the teast of fresh beif 16… Ouchterlony in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 24.
Kittiewauks nothing inferior in tast to the solangeese of the Bassefig. 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 315.
For thine heart, … wist never what the taste of mercy meaned 1598 James VI Basil. Doron App. 310.
And as for Ingland as in the consideration of my awen mortality I haue beene mowed at all aduenture to leawe yowe theis memorials befor I hawe any experience or taste of their formes 1615 Insh Colonial Schemes 36.
We shall visit the naturalls of the country, with whom I propose to trade, and thereafter give you a tast of the eventproverb. a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 220.
A taile oftimes tald tynes the taist

6. Inclination, liking. 1533 Boece 476b.
Leiffing the cummyr of court, cheissing ane private life, and to thare tast mare ganyng 1573-1600 King Cat. in Cath. Tr. 202/11.
Ane inueterat malice aganis the Catholik kirk makis thame to tyne taist of all that do proceid thairfra