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.
Quotation dates: 1399-1420, 1490-1692
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Terro(u)r, n. Also: terroure, teror. [e.m.E. terroure (1528), terro(u)r (both 1560), MF terreur, L. terror.]
1. Intense fear, dread, an instance of this; also pl. a1400 Legends of the Saints iii 535, 536, 538.
That ȝe To Criste campionis ma be That ȝe … ma our-cum Warldly anoys … For gyf that terrour [L. terror] dred suld be The terrour is to dred … That ay sall lest … Bot warld[l]y terrour … sone may … away be done a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiii 701.
Terroure c1420 Wynt. v 3768. 1490 Irland Mir. I 146/6.
Sche is … defendare of ws fra the terrour of our auld jnnemeis c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 11/137. 1531 Bell. Boece II 211.
Better wes … to regne with … benevolence … than … with mannassing and terrour 1533 Boece 221b.
Be onelie terroure of his name astreneȝeing the … pepill … to ȝerlie tribute a1538 Abell 40b.
Paip Leo … gaif terror in his wordis to Attill 1535 Stewart 10223.
Greit terrour thai haf tane 1535–6 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 161.
Ve ordand bath the partes to be varnit be terror of the kyrkis letters c1590 J. Stewart 66/61.
Vith trimbling terror than vas skrychs anew 1597–8 Misc. Spald. C. I 180.
[A pig] lap wp … to the feir and terror of mony 1640 Baillie I 259.
All the garrison … flying away … in a panick-terrourpl. 1562-3 Winȝet I 130/18.
Geuand him terrouris of panes gif he transgressit the samin 1562-3 Winȝet II 5/10.
Thai war na dout bot … sik terrouris and draidour suld be amangis our aduersaris that [etc.] 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 61.
Tormentit with inwart terrouris of gyltie conscience 1650 Misc. Maitl. C. II 489.
He sufferis me not to feir the terrouris of death
b. Const. infin.: A deterrent. 1572-5 Diurnal of Occurrents 291.
[Eight persons] wes brint on the cheik … quhilk causit ane terrour … on the poore travelaris to come thairto 1593 Acts IV 18/1.
The … vnlawes … hes bene sa small as thaj haue nocht gevin ony terrour to wickit men to offend 1625 Justiciary Cases I 30.
Thay … soulde be pwneist … to the terrour of vtheris to attempt the lyke heireftir a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 4.
The dew punishment inflicted to traitors … is a terror to the ill disposed to give withgait to ther inclination 1692 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes.
They … sould be punished … to the teror of others to committ the lyke
c. King of Terrors, death. c1680 McWard Serm. 176.
Look the very King of terrors out of countenance, with a fearless misregard
2. transf. A cause of terror. 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. (1591) vi Sig. O vb.
This citie hath bene a terrour to euill men of befoir, so it may terrifie him also 1614 Mure Early Misc. P. vi 5.
Heauin's admiratioune, and the world's terrour
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"Terror n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/terrour>
