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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Clous, Clows, Clus, n. Also: clouse, clowse, clowis, cluse, cleus. [ME. clouse, clowse (clowys), early ME. cluse, OE. clúse, late L. clūsa.] A sluice.(a) 1493 Acta Conc. 314/2.
William lord Rothuen … gert summond the prouest [etc.] tuiching the walter passagis and clousis of thair millis 1503 Acts II. 242/2.
Anentis the slaaris of smo[l]tis in mylne dammis, clousis, and be nettis 1518 Dunferm. B. Rec. 297.
That thar be vndir the myll qwel ane hek, swa at the muk stuf … cassyn in at the clovs may be keppit thar 1561–2 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 372.
Ane pair of bands to the clous and talis thairto 1573 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 2.
Iames Ros, thesaurer, … to dampt and hald in the North Loch to the hieast clouse 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 18.
Clouses of water or dams of the same 1624 Peebles Gleanings 46.
Ane staine of ierne to be … staippillis to the clous of Ride milne c1650 Spalding II. 172.
Sir Johne Hotham … lettis out certane clovssis of water, quhilk overflowit the boundis neir about the toun 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 79.
They … did break doune one of the dammes of the said milne … and brak in peices the clouse therof 1671 Stirling Comm. Good MS. 74.
5 long cutts of daills … to the borrow milne clous within the dame(b) 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 195.
The thesaurer to mak ane clows at the eist end of the North Loch for halding in of the watter thairof 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 464.
For making of ane new brig and in putting of itt, and ane new clows 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 382.
Certane flag staynis to be layet at the clowse of the Burrow Loch 1593 Ib. V. 91.
Offerris … for bringing of the sey to the North Loch and for making clowssis at the schore 1638 Adamson Muses Thr. 28.
At all occasions when her clowses fall, Making the water mount up to her wall 1609 Hilderstoun Silver Mines I. 189.
For tuelf great naillis to the clowse at the loche mouth 1676 S. Leith Rec. 133.
A man watering a horse put off the clowse and the water ran on upon the mill wheel(c) 1556–7 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 229.
For ane stane irne werk to the cleus 1557–8 Ib. 261.
For twa gryt dowble geistis to be the cluses to the mylnis Ib.
For ane corbell to be the updrawars to the clus