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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.

Fede, Feid, v.¹ Also: fed, feyd. P.t. fed. P.p. fed, fede, feid. [ME. feede, fede(n, OE. fédan.]

1. tr. To supply with food, to feed (a person or animal).(a) (a) a1400 Leg. S. xxviii. 67.
Scho … gefine wes to fostir & fede Wthouth the towne Ib. xl. 1107.
He mycht nocht … bryng his handis til his face to fed hyme-self 1456 Hay I. 70/23.
To fede pore peceable personis Ib. 225/24.
A man is haldin to fede his barnis a1500 Henr. Orph. 168.
It [sc. the apple] … fled, as it refusit hym to fede a1500 Bernardus 325.
Wakyn doggis ar profitabyl to fede 1583 Edinb. Test. XII. 102.
Feding in the byre tua auld cassin oxin(b) 1375 Barb. vi. 489.
With his hand he vald hym feyd a1400 Leg. S. xlix. 104.
Bred [to] by, … That he mycht al the menȝe feyd c1475 Wall. xi. 200.
In that strang strenth the king gert men him [sc. the lion] feid a1500 Bk. Chess. 435.
His … barnis to cleith and thaim to feid Ib. 1758.
Ane wod will feid ane hunder olyphantis 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 462.
To Stobo … to ger feid caponis 1531 Ib. v. 439.
To Pate Striveling to feid the Kingis doggis c1550 Rolland C. Venus Prol. 168.
Sum ar abasit to feid thair barnis and wyfis c1568 Lauder Minor P. ii. 9.
Now euerie fat sow feidis ane vther 1658 Melrose R. Rec. I. 202.
John Lithgow daylie and nichtlie … hirds, feids, keipes and lawis his haill bestiall … upon thair groundrefl. c1450-2 Howlat 228.
The feldifer … that febilly him feidis a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 83.
To feid hym of that fyne fude the freik wes full fane Ib. 93.
Me think thow fedis thé vnfair 1567 G. Ball. 187.
Daintellie thay feid thame self(b) a1400 Leg. S. ii. 732.
Law warnis … That ony chyld … Suld defowle the modir that hym fed 1456 Hay I. 211/6.
Quhen he … fed thame with hevinly fude a1500 Seven S. 2660.
He fed the ravyn … quhillit couth fle c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5940.
Quhen I wes hungry, ȝe me fed(c) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 797.
Vith warldis fud was scho nocht fede [:led] Ib. xli. 294.
Thai to-giddir ware feid [: cled] Of a mylk c1420 Wynt. v. 5234.
This haly man had a ram, That he had fed wp off a lame 1456 Hay II. 118/31.
Gif a man … be fed with hate and dry metis c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 237.
Peilet gled, baith fed and bred of bichis syd 1542 Reg. Cupar A. II. 193.
Of thai [swine] ane to be ilk ȝeire feid ane sufficient bair 1596 Dalr. I. 60/10.
Thair wingis ar clipit, and fed in the hous 1600-1610 Melvill 186.
I sould haiff fead tham also with the fynnest whait floure

b. In figurative contexts. c1460 Thewis Wysmen 64.
The word of God, quhilk saulys fedis c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 219.
Cherising me fed wyth wordis fair 1533 Gau 92/10.
This breid fedis and starkis our saul 1567 G. Ball. 21.
We thank thé, God, … Quhilk feidis vs with thy sweit word 1572 Sat. P. xxxi. 198.
That castell strang, … that stude sa lang, Sic murther for to feid 1596 Dalr. I. 106/23.
Priestes, quha may … feid thame with the pure … lycht of the religione

c. To furnish with supplies of food. 1589 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 383.
Thatt all tha boulks and carcages of flesche be … nocht hurdet in houssis to hald up the derth and feyde the merket

2. intr. To partake of food; to eat. c1568 Lauder Minor P. iii. 101.
The gluttoun, quha fed delicius 1578 Glenartney MS. Docum.
The gers … quhair upon the deir … sould feid and pasture 1584 Edinb. Test. XIV. 171.
Na geir to gang nor feid thairin bot thair calfis 1587-99 Hume ii. 170.
Euerie … beast, that feids in forrests large 1610 Wemyss Corr. 59.
His complexioun aggreis nocht to feid vpoun fishe