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.

Tryn(e, Trayn(e, n. Also: trine, trynde, train(e, trajne, trane, treyne. Pl. also trynnis. [ME and e.m.E. trayne (Manning), treyne (c1450), traine (1553), OF train, traine, f. trainer to drag, draw.]

1. The following or retinue of a person of rank, etc.(a) 1517 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 91.
To [mete] hir … with his honorable tryne [and] convoy hir to hir luging 1530 Aberd. B. Rec. I 131.
Gif it suld hapyn the Lord Forbes … to cum to the said toun, with conuocatioun of the kingis leigis in ony greit nummyr vthyr thane thair dailye tryne [etc.] 1533 Boece 87.
To this public lamentacion occurrit King Evene, with ane tryne of nobillis 1533 Treas. Acc. VI 152.
The Almane for thair expens, and thair tryne c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 204.
Ane dog may cum furth of Balquhidder, And gar ȝow leid ane lawer tryne [: fyne, pyne, tyne] 1551–2 Reg. Privy C. I 121.
To … permit the commissioners … with thair honest trynis and cumpanyis … to cum to the toun of Drumfreis Arundel MS 275/33.
Wnto his trone, with hie tryvmphand tryne, Is gone this glorius prince 1562 Hist. Fam. Kennedy App. 9.
Our haill tryne wilbe cled in dule 1563 Conv. Burghs I 529.
Douglas of Quhittingghame … to be send in ambassadrie to the king of Denmark … and to haue with him aucht personis in tryne 1567 Acts II 552/2.
He is nocht abill to continew langar in his former tryne & honorabill convoye 1570 Leslie 210.
Ane honorable tryne and houshold, … come with the Quene 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III 478.
[Our great] tryne [of servants and unprofitable horses] 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 13.
Ane ambassadour fra the quene of Vngarie, accumpanyit with seven horsis of tryne c1590 J. Stewart 33/131.
Tryton vith his tryn Supplide to hold hir on hir horsis bak 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 5 Jan.
His majestie … in Tillibarne and ane number of the tryne at Striuiling 1587-99 Hume 78/325.
Trine 1600 Reg. Privy C. VI 162.
The haill companyes, and trynnis attending and avaiting on noble men and baronis [etc.] 1617 Aberd. B. Rec. II 350.
Divers of his [sc. the King's] tryne and followaris(b) a1500 Sir Eger 37.
There was into that earles train A young knight that heght Sir Grahame 1558-66 Knox VI 80.
They are so superexpended alreadie … that they are not hable to beare out their trayne 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv 640.
To Londoun Lowrie tuke the geat, With traine mycht staik for his esteat 1603 Moysie 69.
Ane Inglische ambassadour come … with aucht or nyne in trayne 1617 Melrose P. 298.
Greatte ordour tayne for … all prouisiouns … for horsse or men, and for honest ludgeings to all yiour majesties trajne 1621 Scot Course of Conformity 27.
Their apparell, their trayns, fleshly pleasure [etc.] 1604-31 Craig iv 31.
The traine retrainsh'd, the table curt and short 1632 Lithgow Trav. x 440.
Diana; and her allabaster nymphy-portrayed trayne a1633 Hope Major Pract. II 34.
All men should repair to the shireff courts … with no moe in train then their daylie houshold 1690 Whitelaw Sc. Arms Makers 209.
For work and furniture to the train for Stirling(c) 1589 Edinb. B. Rec. V 3.
That the guid toun wald … accept the intertenyment of hir grace and hir cumpany and treyne

b. A procession or company of persons, more generally.(a) 1513 Doug. viii xii 119.
The pepill … passand per ordour, all on raw In langsum tryne c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5681.
Thare sall compeir … Lawrence and Stewin, with thare blyst band Off martyris, mo than ten thousand; Gregor, Ambrose, and Augustyne, With confessoris, ane tryumphand tryne 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 114.
Out come the gyrnen gennet syne With vther twasum in a tryne 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 245.
Ane fellon tryne [of birds] … Fast flichtren through the skise(b) c1590 Fowler I 73/157.
Thus passed this greit cumpanie, so glorious in thair trane [: remane, restrane] c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxiv 14.
The wickit trane, Quhome Cryst sell dame … Wnto eternall pane

2. Course, direction (of something); ? (good) order. 1518 Edinb. B. Rec. I 181.
Ane ordour to be put amangis the merchandis fraternite and gild brethir of this burgh for the tryne of merchandice 1518 Edinb. B. Rec. I 182.
The dayly augmentatioun … of the tryne ordour and gud reull of merchandice [etc.] 1582 Cal. Sc. P. VI 233.
[Now seeing God of His great mercy has brought all these matters in] gude tryne [of redress [etc.]]

b. ? Importance, status, authority; honour. 1535 Stewart 13567.
Lucius … Exhortand thame that worthie war … Lat not thair tryne of sic auctoritie With barbour bodeis so defoullit be; Nor maculat so far the Romanes name 1535 Stewart 32979.
This royall toun … Quhilk had sick riches, honour and grit gloir, … Distroyit wes … And tynt the name, the honor and the tryne 1535 Stewart 41809.
He tuik his leif … Syne grauit wes with greit honour and tryne, … into Drumfermlyne 1567 G. Ball. 13.
Power nor gloir, impyre nor tryne, Is nane in heuin, nor eird, bot thyne 1567 G. Ball. 32.
Na myndis memoriall Can think, nor tung can tell the tryne, Nor haif the gloir, quhilk sall propyne That mychtie Lord vnto vs all 1567 G. Ball. 104.
Of Agarins quhat tung can tell the tryne 1570 Sat. P. xix 101.
Quhair deuisioun lurkis it is ane pyne … That kingdome sall come to greit ruyne Quhen that deuissioun hes his sait and tryne

c. The course or direction (of a person's thoughts, etc.); attitude of mind. 1525 Douglas Corr. 102.
To send soim … tokynnys to the king my maister, as hornys, bowis, … or uthir like plesuris and … quharby I traist to kepe his grace in bettir trane towart his said hienes than he has bene afore 1609 Garden Garden 38.
For Fortunes favour or her fead I nether eik nor pairs my trynde; Though misreport of me be made I nether vex nor moue my minde

3. A line or trail of gunpowder. 1558-66 Knox I 17.
The innocent … being bound to the staik … a trane of powder was maid and sett a fyre 1572 Sempill in Sat. P. xxx 21.
The pure King Hary pieteously put downe Nocht be thair force bot fyring of ane trane a1578 Pitsc. II 201/30.
The laird … that fyrit the traine of poulder 1596 Dalr. II 158/23.
Sum suddarts slane with a trane of pouder a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 6.
They … then kendlit thair trayne of gun poulder 1600-1610 Melvill 617.
Gwy Faux … attending with a sett traine and prepairit lount and match 1632 Lithgow Trav. 315.
A traine of powder about the touch-hole [of a gun] and above it a night-house to keep the trayne dry

4. A route, a way. 1567 Sat. P. v 134.
Fra vice to vertew tak the traine [: remaine] a1570-86 Maitland in Maitl. F. 443/79.
Be that same trane the hewinis wntill By quhilk first enterit Christ our king

b. A cause or means. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 590.
Lufe is the trane of all tranquillitie

5. ? Artillery. 1654 S. Leith Rec. 99/1.
Mr. Jon Hogg … and William Ramsay are desyred to go to the controller … for removing of the traine out of the kirk

6. An elongated part of a robe. 1662 Sc. Ant. XIII 163.
The cheif murners, having their traines borne up by their servants

b. A bird's tail. 1683 Coll. Aberd. & B. 102.
The shells of this fish doe somewhat represent the wings of a fowl and in the end of it … it hath a membrane which … represents the train of a fowl

7. Traine-shut, shut by a train or mechanism of a sequence of wheels, etc. 1632 Lithgow Trav. i 5.
Mine epitaph shall sound Of traine-shut sluces, of the Thespian spring, where chatring birds Dodonean trees do sing