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.
Tour, n.2 Also: toure, tower. [e.m.E. tour (Caxton), tower (1643), OF tor, L. tornus.] One's turn to do something, a turn of duty. Also one's tour about. b. A turn (of a chain) about (= around) something.(1) 1546 Reg. Privy C. I 57.
The quarteris to cum and remane at the assege of the castell … ilk quarter in his tour 1640 Acts V (1817) 311/1.
If any of these whose toure fallis to be present shalbe absent … the saidis quorums … shall [etc.] 1663 Dunkeld Presb. II 28.
Mr. William Rait whoes tour it is nixt to have a commonhead 1665–7 Lauder Jrnl. 53.
They preach 12 moneth about, and he had ended his tower 1673 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 25 Aug.
That berths and tours be punctuallie and exactlie keiped 1673 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. MS 25 Aug.
He shall be haldin and astricted to lose his birth ay and quhill it fall to his vice and toure againe 1675 Inverness Rec. II 261.
The ten captains … with ther companies in ther respectiue tours, goe downe as they sal be requyred … to [etc.] 1678 Fountainhall Decis. I 9.
They must wait their tour, since the devil bides his time(2) 1645 Peebles Gleanings 232.
That all and quhatsumevir inhabitantis of this burgh watch thair tour about … as lykwyis these that ar absent … furnisch thair awin toure about 1652 Peebles B. Rec. II 5.
Ilk burges … that hes any nolt or sheepe, to herd the goodes or that quarter wherein he dwelles, toure aboutb. 1646-54 J. Hope Diary (1958) 172.
Ane coalle worke 52 fathomes deepe, drawen by 3 horse with a great yron chaine about a statute exeltrie … which haveing 3 toures of the chaine about it did as it drew up the one lett doune the uther end of the chaine [etc.]
