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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Drouth, Drowth, n. Also: drouthe, droutht; drowcht, droucht, drouche; dreuth(e. [ME. drouth(e, drowth(e, etc., drouȝth, early druhþe, OE. drúᵹoþ, -aþ.]

1. Prolonged or extreme dry weather; drought, or a spell of this.(a) 1456 Hay II. 129/30.
Than begynnis drouthis and grete hete of sonne to regne 1533 Bell. Livy II. 195/10.
The said pest … rais be excessive hetis and drouth a1578 Pitsc. II. 206/9.
All this ȝeir … thair was ane gret drouthe that the rain ranit nocht 1585 James VI Ess. 73.
The balmie dew through birning drouth he dryis 1613 Aberd. Eccles. Rec. 79.
The extraordinarie drouth quhilk is liklie to burne wp and destroy the cornis 1660 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 435.
That the said mylne was werie stedable to the toune in tyme of ane drouth and frost 1681 Lanark B. Rec. 207.
In reguard of the drouth of the yeirfig. 1606 Craig ii. 34.
My burning heart, which drouth of comfort crost(b) 1513 Doug. x. v. 146.
Syrius, … Quhilk with the scaldand heyt at hys rysyng Byrnys the erth of drowth (a1568 Dunb.) Bann. MS. 48 b/19.
Wes nevir sic drowth bot anis come rane 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 161.
The scarcenes of watter … in the drowth and somer seasoun 1601 Ib. V. 286.
Baxteris … quha … gettis licences to grynd owt in tyme of drowth and skant of water c1650 Spalding II. 154.
A cold drowth throw all Junij(c) 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 40.
Droucht had drunkyn vp his dam in the dry ȝeir 1549 Compl. 38/22.
The grene feildis, for grite droutht, drank vp the drops of the fresche deu a1578 Pitsc. II. 308/10.
France, Flanderis, … with mony vthir countreis had … ane gret drouche 1602 Elgin Rec. II. 103.
In respect … of this lang induring droucht upone the land 1632 Fam. Innes 220.
Bad apperance of cornis … in respect of the gryt droucht senc April(d) 1619 Ritchie Churches St. Baldred 180.
Ane fast was solemnizit. … The caus of it was the extraordinarie dreuthe a1651 Calderwood VI. 819.
The extraordinar dreuth in the sommer and winter before

2. Thirst. Also fig. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xl. 28.
They drank twa quartis, … Of drowth sic exces did thame constrene 1535 Stewart 13866.
The moir thai drink, the moir thai haif of drouth a1568 Balnavis Bann. MS. 138 a/7.
Suppois girt drowth cum in ȝour mowth, Be war, drynk nocht our oft c1590 Fowler II. 21/36.
Sa vehement hes bene thair thrist … ; sa grit is thair drouth, but ȝit neuer slokned 1596 Misc. Spald. C. I. 85.
With ane extreme birnand drowcht, swa that he cuid newir be satisfeit of drink 1618 Lithgow Poet. Rem. 13.
The drouth thou thol'st in thy deare-bought distresse 1633 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 153.
The heauie wycht that was wpon them was easit during the time of thair thrist and dreuth 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. i. 17.
Some think they had a burning drouth