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.

Cap, n.² Also: capp, cape. [Later form of Cop n. , with usual change of o to a before p.]

1. A wooden bowl or dish. 1573 Edinb. Test. III. 30 b.
In bikkeris, cappis & coipis estimat to xiij s. iiij d. 1595 Brechin Test. I. 128 b.
Ane cruik, taynges and ladill, with capes pleittis & disches 1600-1610 Melvill 64.
A cap full of barmie drink befor us. I luiked to the cap 1540 Lynd. Sat. 536.
Hamelines, the cap [B. cop] ȝeis fill 1625 Edinb. Test. LIII. 115.
Aucht futit capis and thrie cais capis 1630 Bamff Chart. 223.
Sewin drinking caps 1633 Orkney Bp. Ct. 89.
Ȝe cam to hir and brocht with ȝow some melk meat in ane cap 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 5.
His cougs, his dishes, and his caps, A totum, and some bairnes taps 1644 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 28.
Diverse uthers dews, alledgit payable to him for pavilions, caps, stoups and uther necessaris 1646 Edinb. Test. LXII. 271 b.
Fyve dussane and ane half of bairnes timmer capes 1663 Peebles B. Rec. II. 55.
Ane cap … for measuring the stock, multure, and knaveship of all sort of victuall 1681 Laing MSS. I. 424.
Broken peeces of piggs, trunchers, caps and stoups

b. Cap out, denoting the emptying of the bowl in drinking. c1590 J. Stewart 216 § 65.
Thay eit, Thay drink, … And ay ‘capout’ thay cry 1540 Lynd. Sat. 539 (Ch.); Ib. 1295.
He and I sall play cap'out [B. cop owt]

2. A measure of quantity. (See quotations.) 1629 Lowther's Journal 25.
Oats 3d. a capp which is a hoop Ib. 42.
At Langholm … the 4th part of one of their pecks is called a cappe