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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.

Estate, Estait, n. Also: estat, aistate; estaite, -aitt, esteat, -eit. [ME. estate, estat (c 1230), OF. estat. Cf. Astate n.]

1. Personal position, status, or rank in the community.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 936.
The seyd ryches suld to ichone Eftre the estate & meryte … be distrybut 1456 Hay I. 25/24.
Be the mycht is understandin the Emperouris estate Ib. 130/35.
Efter the order, office, and estate that he is ordanyt till 1457 Acts II. 49/2.
At thai mak thar wifis and dochteris … be abeilȝeit … corespondande for thar estate 1528 Lynd. Dreme 204.
The secunde part, to sustene thare aistatis 1567 Sat. P. iv. 25.
Thus quhen sho had auancit me in estate, Hir for to pleis I set my haill consait 1615 Highland P. III. 189.
Considdering ȝour … indeserued fauour in euecting me to that honorable estat of episcopall societie(b) 1490 Irland Mir. I. 76/3.
That he suld haue … a place nobile and worthi for his estait and dwelling a1500 Bk. Chess 2042.
Sen a king is hieast in estait And all power is fra him deryvat 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 20.
Quharfor to his nobilite and estait, Quhatso it be, this buke I dedicait 1552 Reg. Cupar A. II. 106.
Vith power to thame … to mak subtenentis off na gretar degre nor estait nor thame selfis a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxx. 178.
Off thy estait stand quyet and content 1622-6 Bisset I. 15/1.
Sen God hes grantted ȝoure estait to stand, and placed ȝou in maist suppreme degrie(c) 1583 Sat. P. xlv. 475.
I wald not for all the carse of Gowrie To be a bischop in his esteat Ib. 640.

b. With adjs. as hie, gret, law, etc.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2655.
He governed his hie estate That Thessaly was exaltate Aboue all Grece 1424 Acts II. 8/1.
Ilk man of simple estate ?1438 Alex. ii. 7640.
The king come with his knichtis all In his estate emperyall 1456 Hay I. 181/32.
A sympil man may nocht geve privelege … till a man of mare estate na he is c1460 Thewis Wysmen 139.
Fleichours and fulys thai hate, Suppos thai be of gret esstate 1540 Acts II. 360/2.
For the honorabill support of his estate riale 1581 Ib. III. 220/2.
His subiectis of the meane estate … presuming to conterfait his hines [in dress](b) c1460 Thewis Gud Wemen 22.
A woman suld … contyrfyt nocht our hie estait a1500 Bk. Chess 1113.
Thairefter bene thir rokis situate Ferrast him fra of ony gret estait 1513 Doug. iii. i. 23.
With our frendly goddis … And eik our gret goddis of mair estait c1552 Lynd. Mon. 654.
Than wald thare nocht be half so gret debait Amang ws peple of the law estait a1578 Pitsc. I. 77/22.
Albeit throw base estait thai be degenerat 1615 Mure Misc. P. xiii. 6.
A machles Phoenix, quho, from mein estait, Becam a prelat and a prince's mait

c. Of estate, of high degree. Bed of estate, a bed of state. Claith of estate, a cloth of state. 1456 Hay II. 44/2.
Honour and worschip of lordis of estate a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 179.
With lordis and ladyis of estate — c1450-2 Howlat 555.
He bure the starnis of estait in his stele weidis 1503 Treas. Acc. II. 215.
The Quenis gret bed of estait 1561 Inv. Q. Mary 29.
Ane claith of estate of crammosie veluot Ib. 38.
Ane tapestrie … brokin to mak a claith of estait

2. A class, order, or rank in a community or country. 1456 Hay I. 159/36.
All othir lordis and estatis hes bathe mete, drink, and clething throu thame a1500 Henr. Fab. 60.
For he nocht wald Lak the wisedome of hie nor law estait c1500-c1512 Dunb. iv. 17.
Onto the ded gois all estatis, … Baith riche & pur of all degre 1531 Bell. Boece II. 10.
Nocht onely … war the temporall estait drownit in thir vicis, bot the spretuall estait in the samin maner c1552 Lynd. Mon. 383.
Thou sall nocht fynd in non estatis … Bot tiddious restles besynes a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. cxi. 50.
Sua I exhort ȝow, all estaitis, Ceis fra dissimulance and desaitis 1596 Bk. Univ. Kirk III. 873.
Ane vniversall caldnes and decay of zeale in all estates

b. The thre Estatis, the three bodies composing the Scottish parliament.‘The ancient Parliament of Scotland consisted of the King and the three Estates of the kingdom, viz. 1st, The archbishops and bishops, and, before the reformation, all abbots and mitred priors; 2d, The barons, comprehending all the nobility as well as the commissioners for shires and stewartries; and 3d, The commissioners from the royal burghs.’ (Bell). 1391 Exch. R. III. 252.]
[Quod per tres status regni fuerat in suo parlemento decretum 1398 Acts I. 574/1.
Thar sal be at Perth the thursday next efter pask thre deputis of ilkane of the thre estatis 1425 Ib. II. 9/1.
It is ordanit be the king with the consent and deliuerance of the thre estatis that [etc.] 1463 Lennox Mun. 76.
To ȝoure henes and to the thre estatis of this present parliament … humbli I … menys me that [etc.] 1478 Acta Aud. 66/2.
The lordis auditouris chosin be the thre estatis in this present parliament 1516 Reg. Great S. 23/1.
The prelatis, baronis, and commissaris of burrowis representand the thre Estates of the Realme 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 93.
Thow mycht haue sene the preparatioun Maid be the thre Estaitis of Scotland 1555 Peebles B. Rec. 221.
To haif payment thairof conforme to the actis maid be the Thre Estatis of the brint annuellis 1596 Dalr. I. 126/10.
Afor King James the fyfte … , certane elected of the thrie estatis of the realme past throuch euerie citie … to interprete the lawis [etc.]

c. The Estatis, in the same sense. 1558-66 Knox II. 93.
The Confessioun of Faith … be the Estaitis … ratifeit and approvit Ib. 126.
War nott the Estaitis of hir Realme assembled in hir name? 1570 Leslie 169.
The Erle of Arrane … wes declarit be the estaitis to be lauchfull tutour … to the Quene and realme 1587 Reg. Privy C. IV. 166.
In presence of the Kingis Majestie, his Nobilitie and Esteatis assembled at this present Conventioun 1622-6 Bisset I. 122/2.
His maiestie witht avise of his estaitis in that parliament ratiffied [etc.] 1640 Acts V. 297/2.
The saidis estatis … dischairges all markettis … to be keeped … wpoun the Monday 1689 Ib. XII. 64/1.
The saids Estates … assembled … declare [etc.]

3. State or condition of persons or things in various respects.(1) 1456 Hay I. 170/22.
Peple … that ar clene confest, contryte, and in gude estate to the saule behufe Ib. 198/9.
I traist he … suld pas til hell, and he deide in that estate but redempcioun c1515 Asl. MS. I. 178/29.
Ane noble may wele call him catif, & his estate is catif and dampnable c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5385.
Men mycht consydder thair estate, Frome charitie degenerate a1578 Pitsc. II. 71/26.
Thay vowit thame selffis to the estait of dampnatioun 1585 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 388.
William Nesbet … to pas and visie the estaitt of the damosell that wes in dispair and report the sam(2) 1456 Hay I. 39/11.
Scantly may a man trowe the grete … riches and excellent estate of that toun 1513 Doug. xi. vii. 119.
Thai wait … in quhat estait Our materis standis; bot thai ar arch to schaw 1570 Leslie 8.
It being left frie to uder nationis to wreitt of the estait of our countrey at thaire plesoure a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxiv. 79.
Justice to do … And bring all thing agane in gude esteit 1598 Conv. Burghs II. 37.
To send foure men to wysie the estait of the toun and commoun rent of Ruglein 1600-1610 Melvill 246.
The presuming … of the cheiff corrupt members … had vitiat and wrakit the esteat of the Kirk(3) 1513 Doug. ii. vi. 51.
In quhat estait is sanctuary and haly geir? 1580 Edinb. B. Rec. IV. 184.
To pas and visy the calsay on the eist syde of the burrow loch … and to report the estaitt thairof to the counsale 1597 Ib.V. 209.
The awld Tolbuith for the ruinous estaitt thairof was tayne doun 1636 Dundee Chart. 172.
The redelyvery thairof [sc. books] back againe in als good estait as they wer lent 1659 Forbes Baron Ct. 224.
To uphold such biging as they resauit … and to leiwe thaim in als guid estate as they fand thaim(4) 1513 Doug. ii. x. 60.
In sik form of quantite and estait As scho is seyn with spretis deificat Ib. vii. Prol. 170.
Off sabyll be thi lettyris illumynate According to thy proces and estait 15.. Clar. iii. 1539.
In this estait [sc. a swoon] lang lay this jentill knicht c1550 Rolland C. Venus i. 208.
Thow art far deuiat For to conforme thy lufe to sic estait 1588 King Cat. 155.
It is nocht anouche to change our maners into ane better estait(5) a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx. 19.
Honest laubour [is] comptit miserie And best estait ay ydill for to be Ib. cxxx. 44.
Now he gais ane vther gait And hes no E to my estait a1605 Montg. xxxix. 35.
I can not plaint of my estait 1606 Highland P. III. 88.
Beseiking ȝour Majestie … to respect my aige and puir estait 1645 S. Leith Rec. 65.
Every constable to visit their quarters … and report in quhat estait the people are in