Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Gait, Gayt, n.¹ Also: gaite, gayte. [Northern ME. gait, gaytt, gayte (a 1340), ON. geit. The plural gait, from ON. geitr, is freq. as well as gaitis. See also Gate n.¹] A goat.(1) 1424 Acts II. 4/2.
The bestis ar taxit on this maner … gymer, dynmontis, and gaitis … xij d a1447 Bower II. 376.
The unlatit woman … Gangis coitand in the curt, hornit like a gait a1500 Henr. Fab. 897.
The gukit gait, the selie scheip 1482 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 45.
Of the hundreth skynnis, … gaitis, kyddis, cunyngis, or ony vtheris 15.. Christis Kirk 17.
Thay squeillit lyk ony gaitis 1594 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 75 b.
xix gaittis sauld to him 1596 Dalr. I. 58/19.
This scheip may be comparet in heicht til a gait 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. ii. 155.
Swyne, hens, geese, gaites, doing skaith to ony man, may be eschieted(2) c1420 Wynt. i. 215.
He gert dissewyr fyrst … the gayt fra schepe Ib. ii. 580.
All thare fe That scheype, … or gayte sulde be a1500 Henr. Fab. 736.
Under ane tre he saw ane trip of gait 1484 Acta Conc. *89/1.
The destruccioun of his woddis be hir gait and vther vnlauchfull bestis 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 241/1.
Gif ony … scheip, gait, or ony utheris gudis beis apprehendit within our saidis forestis 1561 Inverness B. Rec. I. 68.
His horse, … kow, scheip, gait, gaise 1611 Fam. Kilravock 300.
Yeowes with lambes, … gaite young and auld

b. Attrib. with flat, hird, horn, ledder, milk, wife. Also Gait-buk, -skin. 1292 Rotuli Sc. 11/1.
Totam terram meam que dicitur le Gaytflat Ib. 11/2.
Predictam terram de le Gaitflat 1456 Hay II. 129/5.
Than suld men drynk gayte milk on mornis 1474 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 29.
Brekand schepe skynnis … for poyntis or for gait leddir 1529 Treas. Acc. V. 382.
To … the gait wyfe 1549 Compl. 65/23.
Ane pipe maid of ane gait horne 1581 Sat. P. xliii. 67.
Gyges the gait-hird 1592 Edinb. Test. XXIV. 355 b.
Four pair of gait ledder gluiffis