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 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tram, n.² Also: trahame, tramme. [North. e.m.E. tram(m (1516-17), tram (1585) a sledge or cart for transporting coal, MLG trame, treme, MDu. trame a balk, beam, rung, etc., LG traam a shaft of a barrow, etc.]

1. The shaft of a cart, sledge, etc. See also Barrow-tram n. b. transf. A sledge, consisting of two shafts and crosspieces of some sort, for transporting stones. 1544–5 Treas. Acc. VIII 360.
Ane pair of sled trammys to be lymmarris to ane of the saiddis falconis 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 231.
He brake ane cairt tram whairwith he … invaidit [etc.] 1638 Elphinstone Mun. 26.
Ane ald cherret witht trames and sadles 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 368.
A gairdin hurle borrow with iron tramsb. 1512 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 288.
[McWalkane, … driving a horse and] trahame [with stones for] lie bulwark

2. An upright post of a gibbet. 1601 Crim. Trials II 350.
Convict of the tressonabill setting of his maiesteis portract to the tramme of the gibbet c1650 Spalding II 4.
The hangman brak his suord betuixt the crossis of Abirdein, and betuixt the gallowis-tramis standing thair