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

Vacance, -ans, Vacant, n. Also: vacanc, -ence, -anis, -anss, wacance, -ans, vaccance, -ans, waccance, vacnikce, vaicance, -ans, vaicc-, vaickance, waiccance, vacantte, vacant(e)s, vacands, vakance, -anis, vaikance, -ens, vaken. Pl. vacancis, -es, wacanttis. [17th c. Eng. vacance (1609), once, leisure, F. vacance, L. vacantia.]

1. a. Of an office or position, esp. an ecclesiastical benefice: The fact of becoming vacant, the state of being without an officeholder or incumbent; a period of vacancy. b. Of a possession or tenancy: The fact or state of being untenanted; land without a tenant. Also pl. c. Of a kingdom: The state of being leaderless; an interregnum. d. Of law: The fact or state of being in abeyance; suspension.a., b. sing. a1500 Rauf C. 758.
And als the nixt vacant … That hapnis in France, quhair sa euer it fall, Forfaltour or fre waird … I gif thé heir heritabilly 1492 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 37.
That Schir Andro Peirsone sall haff the erest vacant that fallis in thair hand 1641 Government and Order of the Church of Scotland 6.
Out of the number of these … expectants, the pastor is nominated to the vacant by the eldership(b) 1524 Reg. Privy S. I 502/1.
All benefice that sall happin to vaik within the kirk and diocy of Glasgow induring all the tyme of the vacance of the sege of the sammyn 1573–4 Reg. Privy S. VI 439/2.
Throw vacance of the said bischoprik 1575 Inverness Rec. I 245.
Quhen onye vacans, in speciall fourtie schilling maling of the wattir of Ness or quartar of the Kingis myln or landis, sall happin to waike 1579 Acts III 179/2.
Quhen … ony of the five maisteris … to inlaik … within sex dayis efter the vaicans of the rowme [etc.] 1579 Reg. Privy C. III 177.
Upoun the vacance of only prelacie the kirkis thairof salbe disponit to qualifiit ministeris in titill 1595 Colville Lett. 190.
Blantyir, Lord Privy Seall, thinkis he suld supple the vacans of the broid seall 1622-6 Bisset I 92/7.
The said sowme … to be payed be … the interantes in the saidis benefices … quhidder it be … demissioun or deprivatioun or ony uthir wyis be pensioun or vacance a1633 Hope Major Pract. I 49.
Waiccance 1649 Burns Benef. Lect. 78n.
The said manses shall be upholden in time of vaiccance of the kirk by the heritors and by the incumbent ministers 1674 Aberd. Council Lett. V 381.
The great inconveniences might come upon this place, the seat of a flourisheinge seminarie by a long vacance upon his transplanting(c) 1567 Peebles B. Rec. I 306.
Nixt vaken that fallis within the towne of Peblis, that the said Thomas sones sall haif the saminpl. 1562 Inverness Rec. I 76.
That the prouest [etc.] … hed done expres wrang … in setting of the stell … that the commission wes nocht in tham to set sic wacanttis or takkisc. 1533 Bell. Livy I 43/14.
This gouernance … was callit the interregne, that is to say, the vacance [v.r. wacance] betuix the deith of ane king to the electioun of ane vthir 1540 Lynd. Sat. 987 (B).
Now quhill gud counsale is absent Bredir, we mon be diligent And mak betuix ws sovir bandis Quhen vacanis [Ch. vacands] fallis in ony landis That every man sall help his fallowd. 1533 Bell. Livy I 244/31.
At the returnyng of Quintius the administratioun of lawis began agane as thai war wount for the vacance thareof endurit bot iiij dayis

2. (A) vacation, (a period of) closure (of the courts, schools, etc.); a time of recreation. Also pl. Also in fig. context. Also attrib. b. Leisure, spare time.sing. 1532 Acts II 336/1.
Onto the tyme that the said college may be institut … and thir persouns begyn and sitt in Edinburgh on the morne efter Trinite Sonday quhill Lammes and thareftir to haue vacance quhill the xix of Octobere 1544 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. iii Bonar v. Sheriff of Perth.
The secund day of September … in tyme of hervist and vacance 1555 Acts Sederunt i 57.
On the halydayis and uther feriot dayis quhen the lordis sittis nocht … that [etc.] … and in tyme of vacance siclike 1556 Reg. Privy S. IV 582/1.
[He is to] teiche … except the monethis in the tyme of wacance fra Lammes to Martymes 1565 Edinb. Univ. MS La.iii.388a, 3a.
The quhilk terme of Lambmes — be ressone of the feriat tyme of harvest salbe vacance 1567 Acts III 32/2.
The lordis of counsell and sessioun hes bene in vse … to haue vacance at Ȝule, Fastingis euin, Pasche, & Witsonday 1578 Acts III 104/2.
Thay sall … ryis and haue vacance quhill the nixt Mononday 1585 Acts III 376/1.
The haill monethe of Marche salbe vacance for the ait seid 1585 Acts III 376/1.
For the better wynning of the cornis … thair is a greit vacance of the sittin of the sessioun 1586 Acts Sederunt ii 13.
After the greit vaccance of harvest 1597 Crawford Mun. Invent. II 208 (9 July).
In cais I be nocht better providit of horsis this nixt vacance … I wil be compellit to hald me only about this towne 1609 Seton Life A. Seton (1882) 9.
The Yule vacance to be … from the 24^th December to the 6^th January inclusive 1609 Acts Sederunt i 66.
The 5th of November in memory of his Majesties delivery fra the powder treason to be vacance 1611 Crim. Trials III 157.
Vaicance 1618 Reg. Privy C. XI 417.
The harvest vacance 1623–4 Peebles Gleanings 49.
Vaickance 1632 Marischal Coll. Rec. 202.
Vaikance c1646 Craufurd Edinb. Univ. 100, 102 (Jam., s.v. Decedent n.).
Vakance 1649 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 95.
Waccance 1667 Laing MSS 364.
In the vaccance now I writ our criminall law in Latin 1671 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. II 577.
Vacence 1678 J. M. Beale Fife Schools 178.
Vacanc(b) 1537 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 692/1.
Vacans a1567 Misc. Bann. C. II 92.
Because the maist part of the contrey wil be glaid to se thair bairnis and mak thayme clathys [etc.] … thair may be gevin sum vacans on to the first day of October, on the quhilk day al lessonis begynnis againe in al collegis 1590–1 Burntisland B. Ct. 19 March.
The lordis off sessioun … sittis nocht bot is in thair wacans presentlie 1610 Argyll Acc..
Vakanis 1649 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 542.
Vaikens c1650 Spalding II 89.
Vacanss 1652 Lesmahagow Ann. 127.
The schoole should have the vacans for a month 1698 S. Leith Rec. 183.
Vaccans(c) 1637 Baillie I 4.
Ȝuile vacants(d) 1673 S. Leith Rec. 128.
The schoole is to have the vacantte from [etc.]pl. 1587 Carmichael Etym. 34.
Feriae, vacancis 1628 Edinb. Univ. Chart. 117.
The students ar appointed to convein efter the vacances preceislie the first day of Octoberfig. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 177.
O for a long play-day with Christ, and our long-lasting vacance of rest!attrib. 1638-54 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 54.
During the vaccance tyme 1673 Aberd. Council Lett. V 219.
In vacance tyme 1686 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 97.
Her tutors did intent a proces before the Privie Councill in the vaccance tyme 1697-1707 D. Hume Accompt of Estate 25.
In the vacance time … Blackader, his brother … were with me for the space of 4 or 5 weeksb. 1568 Knox VI 510.
The preaching ministers within the realme of Scotland … can have no tyme vacant from their necessary cures … to espy [etc.] … As we have no vacantes (we say) to considder all tryfles [etc.]

3. A space or gap (in masonry). 1676 Soc. Ant. XIV 335.
To finish it att the hight of the ionicke cornishe and to make vacnikces for syvers for caryeing away the raine water from the roffe