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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.

Cut, Cutt, v. Also: cwt(t, cot, cout, cute, cuit. P. t. cuttyt, -it, -et, -ed, cowt. P. p. cut(t)it, cutted, cut(t, kut, cuttine. [Early ME. cutte, kutte, cute, of obscure origin.]

1. tr. To cut, sever by cutting, in various applications.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 398.
Scho … with a schere gert cut hir hare Ib. xlvi. 149.
Dyocliciane … gert sone cute his nek in twa c1475 Wall. i. 322.
His houch senons thai cuttyt in that pres Ib. 197.
To cutt his throit, or steik hym sodanlye c1500 Crying of Play 124.
Amang thaim is bot tak and sla, Cut thropillis and mak quyte 1549 Compl. 120/18.
Thai cuttit his hede fra his body 1551 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 161.
That na maner of flescheouris … that bringis flesche thairto cut nor slit ony mwtun in the schulderis nor vther pairtis 1558 Inverness B. Rec. I. 26.
The said Johne … cowt bayth my luggs and my nyse with the same sword 1570 Leslie 43.
In the Cannowgait … they cuttit ane of his vanes and causit him bleid to dead a1578 Pitsc. I. 30/4.
Traittouris … wald burne thair hous … or ellis … wald cuit thair throttis Ib. II. 154/30.
The Frinchemen will cout ȝour thrott 1596 Dalr. II. 239/28.
His heid was cutted and clouen into four quarteris(2) c1475 Wall. x. 637.
Quhar mony man Cuttyt cordys, gart mony tentis fall 1513 Doug. xi. i. 16.
Ane akyn tre, … [with] The branchis sned and kut abowt alquhar 1533 Boece ix. i. 288.
Ald treis cuttit afore burgeonit and flurist 1557 Peebles B. Rec. 239.
Takkand to erd our … houssis, cuttand the samin with hewin axis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1529.
The gairdnar … Cuttit the auld, and leit the ȝoung tre stand still a1578 Pitsc. II. 99/11.
The maister gounar … cuttit the quhellis and axtrie of his gone that he was schottand 1598 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 218.
Thai … cuttet his tikket and ordanis his name to be deleitt furth of thair gild buik 1626 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 296.
It is demandit … quhy the samyne [charter] was not cuttit and cancellat iff he acceptit ane new ane 1650 St. A. Baxter Bks. 120.
That nane … sall baik ony kind of wastellis or caikis to be cuttit in four quarteris(3) c1540 Lynd. Syde Taillis 154.
To schaw thare face, and cut thare gownis 1546 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 125.
All vther merchandice that is to be mesurit with elne to be sawld in steiks and nocht cuttit 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 355 b.
Thrie elnis of veluot cuttit in bordoring 1638 Rep. Elphinstone Mun. 26.
Ane clok of blak durato all cuttit in bandis(4) fig. 1562-3 Winȝet II. 65/29.
Than [thou may se] the catholick fayth to be cuttit and diuydit 1585 James VI Ess. 55.
Maist kyndis of versis quhilks are not cuttit or brokin, bot alyke many feit in euerie lyne of the verse 1634 Maxwell Mem. II. 251.
Cwtt and carve as ȝow find expedient

b. fig. To shorten as by cutting. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2934.
The gled is deith, that cummis suddandlie, … and cuttis sone the battall Id. Test. Cress. 39.
To cut the winter nicht and mak it schort I tuik an quair 1533 Bell. Livy I. 64/17.
He began to array his batallis to cutt & drive our the tyme

2. To cut (wood, grain, etc.) for use. 1475 Peebles B. Rec. 174.
Quhatsumeuir thai be … that scheris or cottis … our wekeris that growis … about the town 1518 Glenartney MS. Doc.
Thare is diuers personis quhilkis … cuttis the woddis 1547 Elgin Rec. I. 90.
Alex. Ros … grantit in jugement that he cuttit thwa startis to ane mylln quhyll 1551 Ann. Banff I. 28.
Geve ony persone beis fundin cherand or cwttand gres vpone the balkis 1563 Grant Chart. 128.
Allegeing the woddis … continuallie cuttit, pelit and distroiit be the travelloris vpon the said loucht 1627 Peebles Gleanings 158.
The deponar … cuttit sum threttene or fourtene caberis 1645 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 89.
They appoynt … James Fergisoune to cognosche vpon the loisses of this toune by cornes cuttine and plunderit 1658 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 176.
Laitly ther hes bein cuttit … great quantities of bent for wses of the houses and others

3. To cut surgically; to operate on. 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 321.
[The] regent lay deidlie seik of rumburssanes, and war nocht he wes cuttit he haid lost the lyff 1582 Edinb. Test. XI. 33.
I … being hevelie vext with ane confermit stane and … myndfull for remedie thairof to be schorne & cuttit 1639 Baillie I. 212.
The grievousness of his gravell, … made him goe to France to be cutted 1661 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 460.
To pay yearlie to Evir M‘Neill, that cutis the stones, ane hundreth markis Scotis, and he to cut all the poor for that frielie

4. With adverbs, as away, by, doun, off, out.(1) 1456 Hay II. 28/33.
Sa is the suerd of knychthede ordanyt to kutt away … ronnis of thornis of euill men 1513 Doug. i. vii. 132.
Quhar hir pap was for the speir cut away 1562-3 Winȝet I. 66/24.
All errour and abuse being cuttit away 1571 Sat. P. xxviii. 153.
Ȝit cuttit I away their worldly strenth a1578 Pitsc. I. 184/4.
They could on nawayis gett thair intent … without they had the Duik of Albanie cutit away(2) 1535 Stewart 6744.
Bot weill he knew he culd thame all defy, King Caratac sua that he culd cut by(3) 1456 Hay II. 28/30.
As the hewing ax is ordanyt to cutt doune treis 1549 Compl. 94/20.
He … past vp and doune his gardyng vitht his staf cuttand doune the hie chasbollis c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 97.
Maist lyke ane branche doun cuttit of ane stok(4) c1515 Asl. MS. I. 200/26.
Alson as he come hame … he cuttit baith hir palpis of 1568 Pref. Lyndesay 7.
The Uicar of Dolour … and mony ma, quha … war cuttit of be the fyre a1578 Pitsc. I. 46/15.
Gif hie war cuttit of, the contrie sould be at greatter tranquilietie 1583 Sempill Sat. P. xlv. 213.
He cutted off the bill abone Ib. 306.
Heather … Cutted off in the cruik of the moone 1596 Dalr. II. 394/5.
Tha say that [to Marie] with Ingland was cuttit off al hope of barnes(5) 1513 Doug. Conscience 7.
Of his habite out cuttit thay ane skreid 1548 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 260.
Ane burd of aik the claith wes cutit out one 1568 Edinb. Test. I. 188 b.
Twa auld skin coittis cuttit out