Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Threscore, num. Also: threscor, threscoir(e, threskoir, threschoyr, tre schoyr, threescore, three schore, thriescore, -scoir. [ME and e.m.E. three scoor (Wyclif), thre score (Malory), three score (1596); Thre num. and Scor(e n.] Three score, sixty. a. adj. b. absol. as noun. c. ellipt.a. 1501 Chart. Coupar A. II 102.
The peceable … having of pasture for thre score and ten beistis in the haile mure of Cargill and Laisingtoun 1527–8 Edinb. B. Rec. I 233.
Ane vther buith quhilk he hes in wedsett of threscoir pundis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1774.
Quhare wes bot ane language affore, Gode send thame languagis three schore 1591 Wedderb. Compt Bk. 65.
Send with Thomas Cokburn … in the Lyoun threscoir ellis lyning bred clayth 1596 Dalr. II 17/27.
Men of weir, threscor and ten, parte swofte schips, parte barkis 1622-6 Bisset I 138/28.
To summound him agane … upoun the warning of thriescoir dais 1627 Rep. Parishes 1.
The stipend of the Minister of Bonckell then threscoir pundis money c1630 Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II 182.
There is thriescore mylls in all the Harie and Lewis of length 16.. Hist. Kennedy 67.
Scho depairtit this lyff in Stiltoune; threscoir myllis adest Lundouneb. 1450 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II 344.
Threescore of golden crownis of French gold 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2959 (Ch.).
Of ȝeirlie rent thriescoir of thowsand pounds 1545 Corr. M. Lorraine 141.
With the numbyr of tre schoyr of salis c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1744.
And be this nommer, in compas, Aboute three score of mylis it was 1573-1600 Burne Disput. in Cath. Tr. (STS) 161/17.
In auld men quha … leuit chaist to the tyme thay var mekil mair nor threscoir of yeiris … the spirit of fornicatione … enterit [etc.] 1616 Haddington Mem. II 132.
Sum thrie or four aidgitt fellowes abone fiftie and thriescoir, yit deboscht and maisterfull lymmeris 1636 Galloway P. 21 April.
Sex scoir roche wollitt scheip … thriescoir being ȝewis and lambies 1644 Boyd Garden of Zion Ded. ii.
An old servant of God, now drawing neere my threescore 1663 Aberd. Council Lett. IV 243.
Pitfodelis is summonded the second tym upon threscoire of dayes

c. Forming part of a larger number.attrib. 1488 Treas. Acc. I 83.
A … chenȝe … contenand of linkis thre score and a lynk 1508 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 1.
Resavit be the said David fra my Lord forsaid threskoir sewin unce in silvir werk 1526 Liber Aberbr. II 456.
Payand tharfor yeirly to ws wythin the brwch of Aberdeyn the sowm of threschoyr fowyr pundys vsuall mone of Scotland 1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 148.
Ane thousand fywe hundreth threscoir ane ȝeiris 1577 Stewart Mem. 106.
I Jhone Steuart … grantis me content … of the sowme of threscoir threttene merkis 1577–8 Reg. Privy S. VII 236/1.
Being now past threscoir ane yeiris, and thairwith being in his persoun seiklie and unhabill a1578 Pitsc. I 159/4.
Fra our redemptioun 1^m four hundreith thriescoir tuelf ȝeiris 1641 Acts V 696/2.
The estate … hes beine … possest be me, my father, gudshir, and grandshir thir thriescoir and ten yeires bygane 1674 Rothesay B. Rec. 331.
At Rothesay the twentie day of May j^m vi^c and threscor fourtten yeirspredic. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2230.
The prestis … Quhose nummer wer thre score and ten