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

Bus, Buss(e, n. Also: bws, buse. [Variant of Busk n., with loss of k as in As n.¹ and v.]

1. A bush or shrub; a clump of bushes.See also bourtre, braikane, groser, rasche, risert, thorn bus. a1500 Henr. Orph. 98.
A … herd callit Arystyus, Kepand his bestis, lay wnder a bus Ib. 104.
In ane bus Scho trampit on a serpent wennomus 1490 Irland Mir. I. 126/6.
Before that Moyses saw the fresch bus schyn cleir, … and nocht byrne c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 186.
He dois as dotit dog that damys on all bussis 1513 Doug. viii. ix. 120.
The cumpany … held array Throw scroggy bussys Ib. ix. i. 63; etc.
Of giltyn geir dyd glytter bank and bus 1528 Lynd. Dreme 62.
The snaw and sleit … flemit Flora frome euery bank and bus 1535 Stewart 2765.
In craig and cleuche, in mony bus and breir Ib. 38413.
Ane new power out of ane bus thair brak c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 42.
Vnder ane bus I sat me doun Ib. iii. 817.
As the rois dois springe of thornie bus c1590 J. Stewart 18/121.
Gif ane bird fra buse bend in hir vay Ib. 67/87.
As litill lambe … Absconding it in busse a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 321.
Belaw, to, I saw, to, Ane bus of bitter slaes Id. Flyt. 278 (T).
That bratchart in ane bus wes borne 1586 Inverness B. Rec. I. 307.
The halcht and bus bewest the said burcht 1596 Dalr. I. 6/28.
Mony … hillis, with grene bankes, busses and brayes 1603 Moysie 68.
The said lord … past to the wood, quhair the said sir Williame, … tuik him in ane buse therof 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xviii. 31.
Seeing the Kirk is that burning busse 1610 Reg. Great S. 146/1.
Cum … silvis, lie scroggis et bussis 1638 Aboyne Rec. 281.
Cuningars, scrogs, busses, … wods, broomes [etc.] c1650 Spalding II. 460.
He takis intil an vther bus hard besyd 1647 Bk. Pasquils 152.
From hole to busse, from bank to brae, Too hote a chaisse

b. In various figurative expressions. 1549 Soc. Ant. XI. 94.
Quhar the said Erle rynnis about the busse in his ansur to excuis his faill c1568 Lauder Minor Poems i. 75.
Thir flattrers, that for feir of thair bags Dois wag about aye as the busse it wags 1571 Sat. P. xxvii. 120.
Nor beitt [thou] the busse thatt wtheris eit the berreis 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 302.
When ever he saw tyme, he culd wagge as the busse wagged a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1068.
They may not go about the bus For all their deadly feid 1600-1610 Melvill 362.
The King … lyked of nan that wald nocht wag as the bus waggit

2. A bunch or tuft. 1513 Doug. vii. xi. 77.
Amyd a bus of speris in raid thai 1545 Acts & Decr. II. 12.
xij bussis of ostage fedderis price xxiiij li. 1626 Edinb. Test. LIII. 318 b.
Four grit bussis of fedderis vpon the knappis of the beddis