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

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Bouk, Bowk, n.¹ Also: bouke, bowke, bouik, bowik; buke, buik, buck; boulk(e), bowlk, bul(c)k. [ME. bouke, buke, buc (a 1225), ON. búk-r body, OE. búc belly.]

1. The carcass of a slaughtered animal.See also muttoun, schepe bouk.(a) 1444 Aberd. B. Rec. I. ii.
That na man … sell mutoune derrar than the bouke for ij s. viij d. 1548 Stirling B. Rec. I. 52.
To furnis hym muttoun, the hale bouke & intralis 1570 Conv. Burghs I. 21.
The cow and olxin hydis stykand to the bouk 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 26.
That the hydis … be brocht with the bouikis togidder to the mercate 1605 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 230.
It salbe leasum … to mak markat of flesche in this towne in bouk, leg, and syd 1605 Crim. Trials II. 483.
He slew the said scheip … and thairefter careit the boukkis thairof to his awin hous 1634 Orkney Bp. Ct. 94 b.
Ane black kow … the greatest part of the book quhairof [etc.] 1639 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 403.
That when they flee thair scheip, they leive the substance … of the skins on the bouk, and therby maks the bouk seime bettir then it is 1663 Ib. III. 15.
The fleshouris … does mak holles in the foirmost leg and therby workis in wind throw the whoill bouk(b) 1513 Doug. i. iv. 91.
Hys feris … Hynt of the hydis, maid the bowkis bair Ib. ix. 100; etc.
Ane hundreth bustuus bowkis of swyne 1553 Reg. Privy C. I. 139.
The best muttoun bowk for vj s., the bowk unspulyeit 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 407.
That the said flesche haif … the skyn with the bowk(c) 1562 (c 1650) Dundee B. Laws 28.
Persones … that thifteously steales scheap, kyn, and oxes, and bringes the bukes thairof to sell Ib.
Any bukes of schep, kyn, or oxen 1566 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 226 marg.
Skynnis to be brocht to the merkat with the buik(d) 1581 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 225.
That the said flesche haif … the skin with the bowlk 1597 Ib. V. 205.
Being accuset for bringing his muttoun to this merket without the bowlkis

2. The body of a (living or dead) person.(a, b) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxv. 25.
All the blythnes of my bowk c1550 Rolland C. Venus ii. 343.
I sall … bet thy banis, baith bodie, bowk, and lyre Id. Seven S. 108/7.
Howbeit that I had four and twentie harts Within my bowk 1562 Reg. Morton. I. 10.
My hart within my bouk 1585 Calderwood IV. 477.
So long as the life is within my bowke a1605 Montg. Flyt. 361 (T).
Scho that … bringis onie bedding for thy blae bowk Ib. 504.
Black boiche on thair bouk! 1596 Dalr. II. 46/21.
He is … quartert quick; his hart rugit out of his bouk 1600-1610 Melvill 496.
On my bouk atteans A crewall fiver … seas'd 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. vi. 8.
Some that can be content to bestow their bowke to the burroughmure 1626 Garden Worthies ii.
This knightlie Keith thy flainks did fill With Danish bouks and billoes of ther blood(c) 1591 Bruce Serm. X ij b.
They cary their heartes out of their buikes as it were(d) c1590 J. Stewart 95/554.
He … in his hand the bluidie boulk vold tak 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xiii. 20.
If now they had life in their boulke 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 217.
Christ shall … lay bulks (as they use to speak) on the green and fill the pits with dead bodies