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.

Wan(e)scot, Wayn(e)scot(t, n. Also: wain(e-, van(e-, vayn(e-, vain-, van-, wen-, ven-, wean-, wein-, wyn(e-, win-, vyn-, vine- and -scote, -scoit(t)(e, -scoat, -skot, -s(c)hot, -schoat, waniscott, wanskoth, wa(i)ndscot(t, vandscott, wendscot, wenchcott, wenschod, wenschou, waginscott, vaginscot, -skot. [ME and e.m.E. waynscot (1338), vayneschote (1396), waynescot (1420), weynshet (1483), wainscot (1532), wanscote (1649), MLG wagenschot, Flem. waeghenschot (Kilian), Du. wagenschot. For further information see OED Wainscot n.] A good quality imported oak, wainscot. Cf. Knapholt n.(a) 1496 Treas. Acc. I 290.
For xxiij burdis callit wanskoth, xvj s. viij d. 1550 Reg. Great S. 104/2.
Exceptis … 300 asseribus querneis lie waneschot nuncupat. 1550 Reg. Great S. 105/1.
Wanscott 1556–7 Edinb. Old Acc. II 71.
Wanschot 1583 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 313.
Quhilk hows will tak thretty sparris of aik to mak furneissit cuppillis … quhilk wes syllowrit with wanescott perfyttly 1594 Reg. Privy C. V 195.
[A ship from Danzig] directit toward Spayne, laidnit … with knappald, wanscoitt, fathold wode, [etc.] … wes be grite storme of weddir drevin upoun the coist of Zetland 16… Crail Squaremen 28.
That non of them shel make aniey cofiens ether wainskot … or aniey timber … excep it be ther oune 1603 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 8 June.
The foir face thairof to be pannellit with fine wainscot or knappald with mullers covering ilk twa pannels 1610 Reg. Privy C. IX 72.
[They made] grite chairgeis and expenssis in provyding of wanescott and utheris materiallis necessair for the said loft 1612 Dundee Shipping L. 235.
The schip … laitlie cum from Queinsbrig … laidnit with hemp, lynt, iron, fur, wainescott, aiss, and uther siclyik gudes 1612 Conv. Burghs II 375.
Waynscote 1614 Lett. & St. P. Jas. VI 245.
For the importing of waynscott, knaphult, tar, and uther gross waires 1624 Edinb. Test. LII 141a.
Ane coffer of wainscoit … ane lettrone of wainescoit 1637 Edinb. B. Rec. VII 186.
The late impost … upone the tun of goodes cuming from the eist, being partlie pak guid and pairtlie waynescott c1650 Spalding II 124.
The organ cace, quhilk wes of fyne wanescot Urquhart Jewel 252.
Seeing a wedge of wainscot is fittest and most proper for cleaving of an oaken tree 1695 Edinb. Test. LXXX 135a.
Uanscot(b) 1581 Dundee Shipping L. 204.
Wenscott 1584 Burntisland B. Ct. May.
Ane Norroway schipp … ladine with timmer of Norroway … eyght hundert small sparris with ane fadoume of wenschod and burnewod 1606 Edinb. Test. XLII 84b.
Ane buird of venscott 1621–2 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 111.
Wenskot 1624 Edinb. Test. LII 266b.
Ane clos bed of wenscoite 1660 Wedderburn Bk. II 43.
Ane large double hall table of wenschoat 1677 Hibbert P. No. 22.
I … intreat yow … to befreind them in bringing away what wrak wenscott ther boat can carrie I stand on neid of toward the repaire of the ship(c) 1630 Bamff Chart. 222.
Ane hall burd of wynscott 1648 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 121.
Ane great cupboord or almerie of wynscott … ane bairnes new chaire of wynscott of carved work

b. A piece of such timber. Chiefly uninfl.(a) 1531–2 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 101.
Thre waild wanscot for polysouris to the said myln 1534–5 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 123.
Ane hundir v^xx xii waynescot the price of the pece v s. 1535 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 124.
Waynscot 1546 Reg. Privy C. I 36.
Wanescott 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II 339.
For sawing of the wanescot ij s. ix d. 1554 Dundee B. Ct. II 300b (2 May).
Vaneskot 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I 246.
Wynescott 1564–5 Soc. Ant. VII 548.
Wane shot 1572 Canongate Ct. Bk. 398.
Wainscot 1573–4 Reg. Privy S. VI 436/2.
Gevand … to the saidis provest [etc.] the … exactioun following … off the schippis cumand fra Norroway and utheris partis laidnit with tymmer of everie hundreth geistis ane, … of everie hundreth wainschot ane … and siclyke of everie hundreth of everie sort of tymmer cumand to the said port 1573–4 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 78.
For ii wainscot to the kirk dur 1581 Transcribed Accts. (1577-1613) in Argyll Mun. 16 June.
iii^xx daills and tuentie vayneschottis to the boit 1582–3 Crail B. Ct. MS 10 Jan.
The baillies … for reparing of the kirk and steipill … ordanes sa mony wainscott as may conwenientlie be gottin … to be cost with the awaill and price of the said laid 1583 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 310.
To mend the gret windois in the cowrthall … twa dissone vanescott 1586 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 264.
iiij wain scotis to be the wechte broddis onder the orlage 1586 Reg. Privy C. IV 104.
Vanscott 1597 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 22a.
Wanscote 1603 Reg. Great S. 515/2.
Waynescott 1603 Argyll Acc. 5 June.
Wanskot 1611 Brechin Test. II 152b.
Ten singill vaynscot at liij s. the peice 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI 210b.
Vainscot 1612 Dundee Shipping L. 235.
Ane schip … laitlie cum from Norroway contenand fyve hundreth daillis … tua hundreth wenschotis tua faldome burnewod 1616 Dundee Shipping L. 276.
Wynescott 1617 Dundee Shipping L. 282.
To Robert Hamiltoun of aiss 6 barrells … sex vinescot … to Alexander Bower … 4 vinescott 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 77.
For sawing 4 draucht in a waniscott 1628–9 Misc. Maitl. C. III 374.
Waynescote 1639 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 415.
Ane wanescoitt to be mull[er]is to the yettis 1673 Leith Customs 20a.
Five score wanscot of Dantrick £5(b) 1551 Dundee B. Ct. II 54 (27 April).
Jacob Kondis schip of Rosto is enterit ladine with … twa hundreth vaginscot 1551 Dundee B. Ct. II 55b (2 May).
iij^c waginscott 1551 Dundee B. Ct. II 67b (15 June).
Hans Myllar skipper of Hambourgch enterrit this gudis … ane hundreth vaginskot & half ane gryt hundreth knapholt

c. attrib.Consisting of, made of wainscot. Also winscoat colloured.(1) 1531–2 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 108.
xxiiii wanscot burd 1558 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 296.
Tua wenschou burdis c1560 Aberd. B. Rec. MS XXVI (Jam. s.v. Wynscott).
Wynscott rauchter 1583 Dundee Shipping L. 209.
Vynscot planks 1628 Edinb. Test. LIV 241b.
Ane wynescot almbrie 1644 Edinb. Test. LXI 39a.
Ane wenscot great kist 1653 Soc. Ant. XXIII 301.
Ane vanscot bedsteed 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII 144b.
Ane chalmer glas with ane wainscot caice 1665 Household Bks. Archb. Sharp in Misc. Maitl. C. II 524.
For a new vainscott table 1666 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 228.
No defunct persones … sall be buried in wanscot or oacken coffins, ather in the kirk or kirk yeard 1668 Edinb. Test. LXXIII 224a.
Ane venscot cabenet 1703 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. IV 28.
A wenchcott chist of drawers(b) 1657 Edinb. Test. LXIX 14a.
Ane weanscott shyre 1657 Edinb. Test. LXIX 34b.
Ane weanscote board with ane furme 1657 Edinb. Test. LXIX 45b.
Weanscot 1661 Buccleuch Mun. II 313.
Ane weinscott bed stead(c) 1680 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. VI 390.
Thereafter caused sett up seats of his oune … and by iron bands or cleiks caused affix the same to a vandscott back 1683 Inv. in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS) 7 (9-10 May).
Ane great waindscott chist … Ane litle waindscot cupboard 1683 Inv. in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS) 20 (9-10 May).
Ane great wandscot seatt painted green with armes on it 1726 Orkney Antiq. Soc. VI 30.
One wandscott chist above the studie … one fine indented wendscot chist(2) 1722 Glasgow B. Rec. IV 154.
William Waddell, paynter … for helping a winscoat colloured room about six ells in the touns corner house