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: 1600-1692
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Torto(u)r, v. Also: torture, -er, thortor. P.p. also torterred, thortered. [e.m.E. torture (1588), tortor (1594), torter (1611), MF torturer, f. as Torto(u)r n.] tr.
1. To torture (a person), to inflict torture upon to obtain a confession. Also fig.pres. 1632 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. IV 473.
[The minister … ] caused tortour the complainer with bow strings, stob her with preins, lay her in the stockes, call wedges on her schinnes, and otherwayes most miserablie intreate her 1689 Acts XII 59/2.
That the provest & baillies … should immediately proceed to torture John Cheesly … the murderer for discovering his complicesp.p. 1600 Criminal Trials II 144.
Ane of the speciall pointis quhairfore the said Johne Rose wes tortorit, wes for [etc.] 1614 Criminal Trials III 291.
I … smellit that he wald neuir geiv over that hous to be torterit, and to be compellit to reveill vpoune his father c1615 Chron. Kings 180.
He wes thortorit be four gritt horsis, bot with grit deficulty gottine in schunderis 1622-6 Bisset II 433/16.
The slayers of … King James the first quha war richt horrablie tortoured and tormentted for thair maist treassonabill offensis 1630 Stirling's Royal Lett. II 435.
Whoe hade tortered some of the subjectis of our brother the French King 1643 Acts VI i 8/2.
Thair persounes torterred kiped captives or sent away quyte naked 1662 Forfar Witches in Reliq. Antiq. Sc. 145.
We … having inquyred the said Marjorie give shoe had been any wayes tortored, she declared shoe was not, and that what shoe hed confessed was friely, willingly, and of treuth 1662 Proceedings of Society of Antiquaries XXII 261.
Torturedfig. 1692 Presbyterian Eloquence (1694) 2.
A people void of common sense … who torture the Scripture, making it speak the language of their deluded imaginations
b. To undergo torture. 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 480.
If hee slumbered, still hee thought hee saw a man torturing, and burning in the fire
2. To perturb, distress, cause vexation to; twist. 1634 Johnston Diary I 202.
My mynd was horribly thortred and perturbed about my sisters clatters 1682 Lauder Observes App. iv 307.
The curious have sorely tortured ther ingines, searching which of the schoal nicities that might [be]
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"Tortor v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/tortour_v>
