Show Search Results Show Browse

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Gre, n.1 Also: gree, grie. [ME. gree, gre (1303), OF. gré Cf. Grece n.1]

1. A step in ascent or descent; a stage in elevation, a shelf, tier, etc. a1400 Leg. S. vii. 123.
Ane of thame went vpe stepand, … & keste hym fra the heast gre
c1420 Wynt. v. 2999.
A hwndyr greys ewyn dippand down Wndyr the erd
1495 Old Dundee II. 14.
In the queir of the Kirk under the farrest gree before the Hye Altar
1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. ii. 379.
The beriall stremis rinnand ouir stanerie greis
Id. K. Hart 77.
About the wall thair ran ane water void … That on the wallis wiskit gre by gre
1535 Stewart 31156.
This gude Hungus richt laulie on his kneis Befoir the altar passit vp the grees
1542 Soc. Ant. III. 163.
The haill queir to be weill pathit with greis befoir the said alter
1565 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 24 b.
In the gryt hall … ane cope burd vith thre greis
1591 St. A. Kirk S. 697.
The hichest grie of the penitent stuill
1591 Elgin Rec. II. 16.
The heichest gree of the south eastmest desk narrest the queir dur
1614 Ib. 139.
It is apoyntit and ordenit the first grie of the east loft be left woid and redd to the wisitowris
a1688 J. Wallace Descr. Orkney 44.
Bishop Stewart enlarged it [the Cathedral Church] to the east, all above the grees

b. In fig. contexts. 1490 Irland Mir. 295 b.
I find in the cristianite ane leddire of thre noble greis and stagis
1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 596.
He … , quhen he stude vpon the heychest gre, … Was suddanlie deposit frome his place
1609 Gardyne Garden 39.
I striue not to mount vp a stap To be two grees againe down-throwne

2. A step or stage in a rising scale. a1400 Leg. S. vi. 386.
Sancte Thomas vas rycht fovs Till tel the twelfe greis of vertuse
Ib. 422.
That in lele pennance we suld dwel, As fore the sewine gre ve ma tell
a1500 Henr. Fab. 797.
It followis weill be resoun naturall, And gre be gre of richt comparisoun, Of euill cummis war
1549 Compl. 134/28.
Iniquiteis and vicis succedis gre be gre fra princis vitht augmentation of the samyn
1562-3 Winȝet II. 57/31.
Knawledge, science, and wisdome … mot grow and increes, … in al greis of aigis and tymes
1558-66 Knox VI. 171.
The Prophet in discription of there vanities, maketh these gries
1590-1 Bruce Serm. 32.
The first gree of preparation stands in contrition

3. A ‘step’ in the line of descent; a degree of relationship. c1420 Wynt. iii. 1066.
Fergus Ercson fra hym syne Down discendand ewyn be lyne In to the fyve and fyfty gre
Ib. vi. 1883; etc.
Lytyll in honoure than had he The greys of affynyte
c1475 Wall. i. 49.
Balȝoune clamyt of first gre lynialy
1479 Acta Conc. 42/1.
Nocht beand lauchfully descendit of the blude that the landis movit of … as was clerely vnderstandin be the rekning of the greis
1513 Doug. vi. xi. 8.
Behald … the nowmyr of hys geneologye, Thare fatis, and thare fortonys euery gre
1535 Stewart 23481.
He him self wes narrest to thair croun, Fra Dioneth the fourt grie cuming doun
1559 Fam. Rose 229.
[A dispensation] upon all greis of consangui[ni]te or affinite
1570 Leslie 8.
Of quhom ye are be line and grees lauchfully descendit
fig. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 68/10.
Our nobilis … to quhome … we ar in mony greis of luue naturalie coniunit

b. In the phr. in, within gre, greis (defendand, -ant). 1498 Acta Conc. II. 264.
[The inquest contained persons related] within gre [to the said John]
1533 Gau 16/6.
Thay that lys wit thair kine and bluid in greis quhilk ar aganis the command of God
1539 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. x.
Janet Scot … and James Douglas … ar neir of kin and consanguinite within greis
1543 Reg. Morton II. 287.
Thomas McCalȝeane allegit that John Tenent was within gre defendand of affinite be resoun of his wif in the ferd degre to the Erle of Mortoun
1617 Crim. Trials III. 424.
He was within greis defendant with the Hous of Bass

c. In the phr. gre be gre. ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 50.
Thou wrytis … That our successouris aucht to be servandis till ȝouris gre be gre
1535 Stewart 45905.
Fra Gathelus all his genelogie Onto him self he countit gre be gre
1554 Misc. Bann. C. III. 69.
Thai Eirlis of Orchadie iustlie, … linialie, and gre be gre, … hed succedit to the forsaid eirldome
1571 Sat. P. xxvii. 100.
Scoitland … hes bene alwayis bruikit be ane bluid, and kin of Kingis discendit grie be gre

4. Degree or relative position in rank or standing; in thair gre, in order of rank. a1400 Leg. S. vii. 38.
Of Jerusalem he Wes mad byschope of heyest gre
c1420 Wynt. vii. 463.
The mast worthy And lordys off the grettast gre That kend ware in that cuntré
Ib. ii. 203.
Bot gyff he saulde hym halely All hys awantage and hys gre, That for as eldest hys sulde be
Ib. ix. 1941.
All his liegis of alkyn greis, Conditiounys, statis, and qualiteis, Lerit, and lawit
a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 999.
Bere this in mynd and degraide nocht thi gre
1511 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 134.
First to serue the Kings Hienes … and … , by ordour, the provest, baillies, counsale and communitie, … and thairafter the strayngeris … , ilk ane in thair awin grie
1533 Boece iii. xxi. 122 b.
Ane nobill prince deiectit fra the hiest gre of dignite
1565 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 36 b.
All and sindre our legis … of quhatsumevyr state, gre, condition or autoritie
transf. c1450-2 Howlat 407.
Ilk branche had the birth burly and beld, Four flurist our all, gretest of gre

b. An academical degree; often in pl. c1420 Wynt. viii. 262.
All thir clerkis in thare greis And studyws in thare faculteis
1456 Hay II. 35/18.
For dout [that] thai [sc. scholars] war repellit, or ellis defoulit thair greis
c1500 Fyve Bestis 180.
Weile couth he cast the bukis of decres Bot tharin no thing had he of his greis
a1500 Prestis of Peblis 356 (A).
Ane cunnand clerk The quhilk certane had nocht in scule tane gre
a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 397.
I sall degraid thé, graceles, of thy greis
1535 Stewart 60470.
No preist sould be to prelacie promovit, … Without he war ane doctour in his grie Into canone or in theologie
1533 Boece xiv. vi. 553.
Doctouris of theologie … quhilk … war nocht notabill be greis nor stilis that thai war na les cunnyng

5. Pre-eminence, foremost place or victory in a contest. Freq. in phr. to bere, or win, the gre. c1420 Wynt. iii. 972 (C).
Thai that mycht the gre thar wyn Off turnamentis or of justynge, Menstrailsy or gret werslynge
Ib. v. 3402 (R).
At wychys and at spaymen fast He thraly speryt gyve that he Mycht ewyre opteyne and wyn that gre
c1450-2 Howlat 448.
As worthy … in worschipe allowit, To Jame lord Dowglas thow the gre gaif To ga with the kingis hart
a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 698.
Wes nane sa sutell couth se Quhilk gome suld gouern the gre
c1500-c1512 Dunb. l. 20.
At feistis and brydallis wp aland, He wan the gre
1513 Doug. v. vi. 43.
The thre formaste sal beir the pryce and gre
Ib. 92.
The thryd place now and gre Dyor has nummyn
Ib. 113.
Hys lak to save, Quhilk in his awyn defalt tynt not the gre
a1585 Maitl. Q. xlviii. 20.
The Muses wald have gevin the grie To hir, as … peirles perle preclair
1606 Rollock Comm. 1 Thess. 69 (J).
Fy on this idle nation, and thow Scotland bears the gree of idleness and loytering
1686 G. Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 22.
Of aw the pipers I did see, This piper Tony wan the 'gree

6. Degree or degrees in amount, intensity, quality, etc. c1420 Wynt. ii. 995.
Hys relygyoune [was] cruelere Than … tyrandry in ony gre
Ib. v. 5554.
Lord God, that schawys thé Luwand mankynd in all kyn gre
1456 Hay II. 32/14.
Thareis thre gree[s] of chastitee, the quhilkis all honourable personis ar behaldin till
1461 Liber Plusc. I. 385.
Enforst with fortoun in the heast gre
1490 Irland Mir. MS. 177.
God has gevin mony greis of perfeccioun to creaturis
1513 Doug. vi. Prol. 97.
As he twichis greys seyr in payn, In blys, elike wys, syndry stagis puttis he
Ib. xii. Prol. 109.
Sum [flowers] hevynly culloryt in celestiall gre
1533 Boece iv. viii. 137.
He grewe … in hieare gre of covatise than efferit ane mortall man
c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6048.
And als, that lantern of the hevin Sall geve mair licht, be greis sevin, Nor it gave sen the warld began

7. a. A degree in measurement (in astronomy or geometry). 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 32.
Frawart Saturn … Went progressyve the greis of his ascens
1531 Bell. Boece I. xlvii.
The elevatioun of the pole abone the Ile of Man is lvii greis
Id. Livy I. 47/19.
Ilk xxiiij ȝeris anys, that the sone come to the samyn dayis, houris, mynutis, greis, and signis [etc.]
1535 Stewart 3021.
Of signifer the greit obliquitie Fra Aries to Cancer gre be grie
1560 Rolland Seven S. 451.
The ruif tre … was quyte declynit doun, And sine againe … It was vpliftit ane hundreth thousand greis

b. A degree of comparison of adjectives. 1549 Compl. 160/3.
For that cause the gramariaris can fynd na greis of comparaison in ȝour gudnes, for that terme, bettir, is of the comparatyue gree, and that terme gude, is of the positiue gree

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Gre n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/gre_n_1>

16697

dost

Hide Advanced Search

Browse DOST:

    Loading...

Share: