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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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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.

Dure, Dur, n. Also: dwr(e, durr(e, duir(e, duyr, dowre, dour(e. [ME. dure, durre, dur, OE. dure, nom. duru. See also Door(e.]

1. A door or doorway.Also with defining term, as bak, chalmer, chapel, hous, kirk, (etc.) dure.(a) 1375 Barb. xix. 656.
A dure ther wes, withouten ma Ib. 665.
Till the dure he went in hy a1400 Leg. S. xxxviii. 188.
Scho … agayne hyme can spare Dure & ȝet c1420 Wynt. iii. 97.
To the dure in hy Scho tuk hyr rayk Ib. v. 2413.
Saynct Laurens than wndyde the dure c1450-2 Howlat 826.
The barde, … Ran fast to the dure a1500 Seven S. 1033.
A hous of stane He biggit, … Bot dure and wyndo was thair nane c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxi. 38.
Trewth standis barrit at the dure c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 965.
He … quyetlie did bar the dure 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 223.
That ane of the counsale ilk day keip the dure thair tyme about 1581 Cath. Tract. 144/1.
Scho sau his maister … throuche ane bore of the dure 1609 Crim. Trials III. i. 42.
[He] feschynnit the samin dure with the catbande(b) 1375 Barb. ii. 61.
Thai brak the dur Ib. xix. 665 (E).
Till the dur he went in hy 14.. Acts I. 33/2.
Ilke broustare sal put hir alewande … abone hir dur 1488 Lanark B. Rec. 2.
For mendyn of … dur and wyndo 1512 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 209.
To big the mylne hous and dur tharof 1533 Gau 66/34.
Sua that na … val or dwr cane … hald thayme agane 1535 Stewart 35855.
With ane dunt the dur sone vp thai dang 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 188.
That ane irn yet be maid … vpoun the dur of the said charterhous 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 10.
Makclelane … was slane in sanct Gelis kirk … , at the north dur thairof 1593 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 94.
To caus big up the hoill abone the dur in the stepill 1622-6 Bisset I. 156/6.
Ane maisser … sall stand at the dur, and lat na man entir c1650 Spalding II. 96.
He receavit no satisfactorie ansuer; quhairupone he went to dur malcontent(c) 1387 Edinb. Chart. 35.
With a durre als gude maner as the durre standand in the west gavyl 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 117.
For sertane stains to the newe durr 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 133.
Captane Hakkarstoun went out at a durre besydes the Kowgate poirt 1585 James VI Ess. 39.
The curr, That barks at strangers comming to the durr(d) 1532 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 145.
Ane blokhouise … with gunhollis and duiris of aistlar 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 75.
For ane slott to the counsalhous duir 1561 Inverness B. Rec. I. 67.
Jasper and I gatt out at the duyr 1582 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 126.
Ane ke with ane irin boit to the duiris 1591 Exch. R. XXII. 121.
Keparis of the duireis and biggaris on of the fyris(e) 1525 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 113.
To have thair ȝettis and douris reddy oppin to the … bailies to exers the samyn 1533 Gau 61/23.
Quhen the disciplis … haid closit the dourris a1500 Peblis to Play 216.
Our doure hes na stekill 1563 Montgomery Mem. 197.
Ane dowbill dowr with furnist bandis and lok

b. Pl. duris (durys, etc.) and durris.(a) 1375 Barb. xii. 402.
Thai … durys and vyndowis with thaim bar c1420 Wynt. vi. 1519.
Thai gert be All the durys stekyd fast Ib. viii. 3592.
To ta … dwris and wyndowys gret alsua, To mak defens c1475 Wall. iv. 509.
Burdyn duris … thai brynt wp in a fyr a1500 Seven S. 2462.
The castall duris he lokit fast 1551 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 158.
To haue thair stabillis … furnist with … catbandis on thair duris for sure keping of the hors 1572 Sat. P. xxxviii. 95.
Calk me thair dures, And slay or ye be slane a1578 Pitsc. I. 97 h.
Pacrates [sic] put on the kirk dures 1603 Ellon Presb. 41.
Some of the parishioners … clam in at the windowes of purpos to have … oppinit the duris(b) c1460 Wisd. Sol. 818.
Lukand out at het and stinkand durris 1494 Peebles B. Rec. 195.
Durris, wyndos, plancearis, loftis … pertening to the said stipil a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 383.
Cryand caritas at durris amore Dei 1515 Treas. Acc. V. 10.
For nalis bocht … to mend certaine durres of the abbay 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 29.
That … euery man and woman dicht and mak clene befor ther durris and closis 1546 Stirling B. Rec. II. 43.
The durris thairof being fast stekit 1562-3 Winȝet I. 23/6.
Quhow … the durris of certane Caluinianis wes calket … with sum notes of dishonour 1577 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 38 b.
Twa cott housis … with tuentie fuitis of leinth befoir thair durris 1585 Rep. Menzies MSS. 10.
With power to mak oppin durris, asseige housis and strenthis [etc.] 1630 Kirkcaldy Presb. 7.
For four daills to be durrs in the laigh chalmer c1650 Spalding I. 320.
Thay brak wp durris, … enterit the haill houssis [etc.]

2. In the phrases fra dure to dure, dure be dure.(1) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2536.
Beggand frome dure to dure, I pass 14.. Acts I. 37/2.
To cum furth quhen that the wakstaff gais fra dure to dure c1500-c1512 Dunb. xvii. 14.
Barronis … garris thame beg fra dur to dure c1568 Lauder Minor P. i. 427.
The pure That gois nakit, begging from dure to dure 1572 Sat. P. xxxii. 23.
Quhair now in sorrow fra dure to dure we clune 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 126.
Lippermen … sall not gang fra dure to dure(2) 1555 Peebles B. Rec. 227.
The officeris to gang throuch the tovn and warne all nychtbouris dour be dure 1568 Ib. 74.
Thai had warnit all nychtbourris dure be dure to the effect foirsaid

3. In figurative uses. 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 191.
The said Dauid is nocht sufficientlie eleckit and enterit be the dure thairto 1562-3 Winȝet II. 26/9.
The antiquitie is reseruit, and the noueltie is schot to the duir 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 44.
Within schort tyme … he crap in credence agane be ane other dur 1588 King Cat. 3.
This faithe is … the dure of lyff 1626 Garden Worthies 141.
There spirits pure … throw the durrs of Death their glaidlie goes Ib. 144.
Throns they orethrow … and dukes drives out of dures

4. Attrib. with hede, threschald. 1558–9 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 288.
To xiiij peonaris for carying of thair gestis fra the dewrheid 1591 Crim. Trials I. 238.
Sche … directit Bessie Thomsoune … to craif ane lok salt owre the dur heid 1628 Stirling Ant. IV. 188.
The said Steine Maltman … cutted ane peace [of cheese] … and gart lay it on the duir head — 1479 Peebles B. Rec. 184.
Apon the dwrthreswald the forsaid balyeis sat down and held a fermit court 1533 Bell. Livy I. 69/3.
To demand … gif thai suld stand in thare dur threschaldis c1650 Spalding I. 63.
Tua of thir lymmaris wan away by wirking out ane hoill wnder the dur thrashell