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.

Tribill, Tripill, adj.¹ Also: trybyll, trible, triple, treipell. [ME and e.m.E. treble (Chaucer), trible (1423), triple (1550), F. treble, triple, pop. L. triplus.]

1. a. Three times as much. b. That has three components, parts, etc. c. Occurring three times.a. 1375 Barb. xviii 30.
Schyr Eduuard … said that he suld fecht that day Thoucht tribill [C. tryplit] and quatribill war thai c1420 Wynt. viii 2643.
Swa trybyll [W. triblit] thai war, or dowbill then Be the lest sowmyd, off Inglis men Agayne the Scottis 1460 Hay Alex. 5893.
Suppois Dare had ma men dowbill and tribill The name of Alexander was sa terribill [etc.] 1485 Acts II 172/1.
Thar is grete extorsions raisit … be takin of duble & trible fraucht be the feriaris c1590 Fowler I 377/21.
Great was the Thebans knightes annoy When Thesius him exyled; But trible is this furye wylde That breides my hartes dispayre(b) 1695 Acts IX 418/1.
All pacquets of papers to pay each are as triple lettersb. 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 333.
To Thomas Broun maister smyth for ane tripill key to ane privie lock [48 s.] 1661 Nicoll Diary 321.
These odious carcages … wer takin out of thair graves … dragged to Tyborne … and hangit up at the severall angellis of that tripill trie 1663–6 Thanes of Cawdor 320.
1 pr. of treipell whyt kid for a woman at £1 6 s.c. 1691 Cramond Kirk S. III 5 March.
Reported … he had informed the presbitry anent Jean Macbaiths triple fornication

2. Triple-poynding, = Poynding vbl. n. b, q.v. for a further example. a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 172.
Ane action of triple-poynding of the barrony of Carstairs