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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
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Wob, Web, n. Also: vob, wobb, wobe, vobe, woob, woeb, woib, woabe, veb, web(b)e, wab, vab, wabe, vabe, wolb. [ME and e.m.E. webb (c1200), webbe (Layamon), web (c1220), webe (c1325), OE web(b, OFris. web, wob, MLG, MDu. webbe, ON vef-r. Also in the later dial.]

1. A piece of woven cloth. Also const. (of) (a type of) cloth or with qualifier indicating a type of cloth. b. comb. c. fig., in fig. context or transf. The structure or interweaving of (a person's) activities or events, usu. viewed as complex, lengthy or difficult. Also proverb.(1) c1420 Wynt. v 5053.
He … sayd he heycht hyr trewly To that web [C. webbe, W. webe] that he suld wewe c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 154/136.
His baner … Quhairin wes clowttis ane hundreth scoir Ilk ane of divers hew And all stowin out of sindry webbis 1552 Glasgow Test. I 94.
To Thomas Angus for webbis wewin vj s. viij d. … to Jonet Cwnyngham for webbis blecheyng iij s. 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 1238.
As the webster bringeth his web to the off-cutting, so would the king say, ‘I see I have brought this miserable life of mine to the off-cutting’ 1622 Crim. Trials III 528.
Ane heip of grene webbis being lying on the fluir 1640 Dundonald Par. Rec. 482.
To summond … John M^cKerrells wyfe for knocking of webs that day 1646 Aberd. Council Lett. III 43.
In midlentron fair quhair thair wes ordinarlie wont to be tua hundreth horse packs of plaids this yeir there wes only bot on web 1662 Crim. Trials III 608.
[Quheneuir I putt] furth either horse, noat, vebs, or any vther thing to be sold 1699 Cramond Ch. Aberdour 37.
George Gordon, clerk, received out of the box £3 togidder with Agnes McKneskar's web and plaids for his half year's fee(b) 14.. Acts I 337/2.
Off chalance of wobstaris … That thai tak a mannis ȝarn and puttis in ane vtheris wob for haste 1513 Doug. vi xvi 30.
The ryche Sonnys douchtir, Circe … With subtil slays and hir nedlys sle, Rich lynȝe wobbis natly wefis sche 1513 Doug. ix viii 73.
Thy lattir clathis … The quhilkis I wrocht … to mak thé gay, Full bissely spynnand baith nycht and day, And with sic wobbis and wark, for thé … I comfort me 1525 (1527) Reg. Great S. 97/1.
That all owtman of the said craft cumand within this burgh … takkand wobbis or claith to walk … sall pay wolklie his penny as we do 1539 Inv. Wardrobe 50.
xii pece of claith of gold and claith of silvir contenand lx wobbis and ilk wob is foure ellis and nerrest half ane quarter deip 1569–70 Canongate Ct. Bk. 179.
Certane plumdames eggis buttir and siclik necesseris with ane quhite wob and lent money sauld and furneist be the said Malie to hir 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII 76.
Ane grene wob for burdeclothing estimat … to xxx elnis grene price of the eln … xl s. 1629 Black Orkn. & Shetl. Folklore 78.
Christane Reid … cam in ane maid errand, seiking woft to ane wob 1637 Banff Ann. I 80.
Na wobster sall … caus wywe ther wob in ane wther manis home wnder the pain off [etc.] 1662 Melrose Reg. Rec. II 29.
To pay to John Scot, weaver … [£3 16 s. Scots] as the pryce of wtbreid furnished be him to them & wobs wrocht by him to them(c) 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 68a.
Thes is Harey Betertertons wyfes count of her wobes sauld ine Quenesberege 1640 Elgin Rec. II 237.
Compeired Alexander … and Patrick … litsters, for hinging out cloath or wobes to dry one the Sabbath day 1663 Stitchill Baron Ct. 26.
James Thompson wobster … is decerned to pay restore and redelyver backe againe to the executors of the deceast Andro Essten … ane gray wobe taken wrongously be him brevi manu fra the waulker(d) 1624 Fraserburgh Kirk S. 22 Sept.
[She] sclanderit him in saying that he hade stollin from hir twalff taill of ane woib(e) 1632 Inv. Newark 2a.
Gingillane collowred cloathis in two woobes(f) c1602 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 30b.
Sauld 3 vabe of the quhilk thre wabe met out 51 … mair a vabe of 20 elis at 8 d. … mair a vab of 18 ȝerdis at 5 d.(2) 1460 Hay Alex. 785.
Ane hundreth webbis of silk 1488 Acta Conc. I 95/1.
A wob of tanny claithe contenand xix elne & a half 1523 Carnwath Baron Ct. (SHS) 7.
Ane vob of xij ellis of claith 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I 236.
Ane vob of tartane, contenand x ellis 1568 Waus Corr. 42.
Ane wab of blankatene 1576 Reg. Great S. 691/1 n.
3 webs of cadday containing 10 ells apiece 1581 Edinb. Test. IX 129b.
Ane wob of barnis hosing quhyt contening xvj elnis 1599 Acts IV 185/1.
Quhilk seill and stamp … salbe hungin to euerie wobe peice and steik of claith … that heirefter salbe brocht within this realme 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. V 281.
[The council] … desyrs that the said Thomas sall bring hame [from France] … sa mony expert men in the said art as is neidfull to the making of ane wob of bred cleyth efter the forme of France 1628 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II 308.
Ane woib of plaiding extending to thriescoir ellis or thairby 1630 Banff Ann. I 64.
Ane woob of claithe being lyning or woolne of xx elnes of lenthe or therby 1637 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 549.
Tua wobes of round linning vnwowine 1640 Baillie I 255.
That the honest women might be tryed what webb's of hardin or sheets they might spare 1685 Kirkcudbr. Test. (Reg. H.) 20 Feb.
I leive to the said Jean Halliday ane wab of plaiding and piece of stuffe — 1588 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I 238.
Quhatsumeuer persoun or persounis being vnfre that bringis ony claithe to the mercat, sall pey ane penny for ilk vob claithe 1633 Edinb. Test. LVI 200.
Sex wobbis round girding at liij s. iiij d. the wob(b) 1641 Edinb. Test. LIX 291b.
Twa woabe of lyning(3) 1514 Wigtown B. Ct. 35a.
Ane raw veb in Downe Thomsoun haund 1525 Misc. Bann. C. III 110.
I leife to Jhone Boide the best pece of ane lynnein vobe 1560 Rolland Seven S. 600.
The riche badkins, the coistlie veluot wobbis, The browdin warkis, & the riche ryall robbis Quhilk on the stairis war spred sa heich on hie 1568 Edinb. Test. I 147b.
Ane cather wob 1574 Edinb. Test. III 89b.
Twa gray hosing wobbis & tua kairsayis 1586 Perth B. Ct. 15 June.
Ane nerrow argenty vob of xl elnis 1593 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 69a.
Ane harden wobe 1611 Edinb. Test. XLVI 265.
Ane kendeill cullourit wob contenning sex elnes 1633 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 100.
The meines to procure the workers to be more loyall is to take from the occasione quhairby they cover the falsett and that is the presenting thereof [sc. plaiding] to the mercat in hand wobs … therefore … before that commoditie losse all credite … ordour sould be taken for presenting the same to the mercats layit in foldis or plaides 1639 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 596.
Ane seall woob 1643 Murray Early B. Organ. II 129.
Ane stuf wob and ane lynen wob 1657 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 143.
Accusit for drying of ane plaidene wob … in tyme of sermoneb. (1) 1485–6 Prestwick B. Rec. 31.
Elene Walcare accusit … his dochtir, that scho come in hir hous & distrobillit hir wrangwisly, & brak hir weblumys 1521 Dundee B. Ct. I 35b (17 June).
Jhon Makison sall restoir to James Wedderburnis land a woblome & a cher a pig that [etc.] 1613 Orkney Test. and Inv. 88.
1 working woblome and abuilyementis, £10 1658 Edinb. Test. LXIX 127.
The said vmquhill defunct … had … fyve furnished wobloomes in his work hous(2) 1520 Edinb. B. Rec. I 200.
Ony bonettis … of quhite or vthir colouris of wob yarne or wrangius gottin yarne or woll 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II 23.
That na man nor woman of the said craft of bonetmakaris be fund with vnsufficient stuf, viz. with wob yarne or vther hew of burges stuffc. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6366.
He had ane vthir wob to spin a1568 Sempill in Sat. P. xlviii 81, 84.
Now is my wob wrocht … And, gif my claith felȝie, ȝe pay nocht a melȝie: The wobb salbe at ȝour command 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 24a.
Deith is … A stedfast stay to commoun wealles, A webe of warldlie woe 1609 Garden Garden 39.
I waist me not in vaine to wash The woeb I wait that wil not wring: For folie is to enterprise That not into my power lies 1604-31 Craig v 25.
To disgorge these griefs which make mee sigh and sob, Were for to weue a new Penelopeian webbe a1649 Drummond I 142/39.
May neuer houres the webbe of day out-weaueproverb. 1586 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 442.
To stand in their mantenance, and prease, by so doing, to wesh ane Indiane or black-more, whom al the watir in the sea can never mak quhite; for that were ane evill web to bleitch a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1018.
Kiss me quhill I be quhite, and that is ane evill wob to bleitch

2. A spider's web. Chiefly fig. or in fig. context. 1490 Irland Mir. III 134/18.
Thai that … said that the lawis of the realme ar lik to the wobe of the attircop that takis fleis and litle bestis, bot the gret best … beris al away with thar hornis a1500 Bk. Chess 802.
The ettercope vobbis ar thir lawis lyk That … a flie … chapis nocht … Bot … a gret best bydis nocht 1584 Melvill 188.
Manie [lawes] weill maid wantes execution, lyk ather-cape wobbes that taks the sillie flies, bot the bumbarts braks throw tham! 1587-99 Hume 11/10.
Skarse nature yet my face about, Hir virile wob had spun Quhen [etc.]

3. A strap of webbing.See Girth n.² 3 for further examples. 1503 Treas. Acc. II 391.
To the said James he laid doun for webbis to beddis to loft thaim with xiiij s. 1609 Edinb. Test. XLV 348.
Ane wob of creddill belting 1621 Maxwell Mem. I 328.
For ane girth wob to the lairdis hors … ij d.

4. A sheet of lead, lead sheeting. Also comb. b. The head or blade of an adze. 1560 Treas. Acc. XI 24.
To Johnne Weir, pewtherar, for ane wobe of leid … to be ane sepulture to incluse the quenis grace in 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II 144.
iij wolbis of plet leid for the bakkis of the ij windois, weyand xxj stane 1587 Laing MSS 60.
Took iiij sheetis or webbes of lead of Ingerum Churchcomb. 1612 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 327.
For fyve stane of wab leid to lay ane gutter above the great turnpyk heid x lib.b. 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I 242b.
For making of ane new web to ane eche xiij s. iiij d.