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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.

Grete, Greit(t, v.¹ Also: gret, greite, greyt, greet, griet. P.t. grat(t, grate, gret. [ME. (chiefly northern) grete, OE. (Anglian) grétan.]

1. intr. To weep, shed tears. Freq. in pres. pple. gretand.(a) 1375 Barb. iii. 347.
Men mycht haiff sene … At leve-takyng the ladyis gret Ib. xvi. 228.
Ane of thame … He saw gret wondir tendirly a1400 Leg. S. xxvii. 888.
That tyrand … Of Sanct Machor fell to the fet, & for his synnis sare can gret c1460 Wisd. Sol. 828.
The angell of the hewyne sal bitterly gret c1420 Ratis R. 1121.
[A] child can no mare Bot lauch or gret c1475 Wall. v. 749.
The gud wyff cryede, and petuously couth gret a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 714.
Dochteris of Jerusalem, … Gret and mak cair 1565 St. A. Kirk S. 236.
He.saw hyr burst and gret wyth mony tearis(b) 1375 Barb. iii. 529.
For quhen men gretis enkrely, The hart is sorowfull or angry Ib. xvi. 231.
It is no vonder thouch I grete a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 227.
Tel me … quhy thu gretis here sa sare Ib. xxxvi. 1086.
I ma ȝete Mak mony ane ful sare to grete a1500 Seven S. 948.
My sisteris gretis sa saire Becaus I hurt me reklesly c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 17.
To part fra Phebus did Aurora grete a1585 Polwart Flyt. 23 (H).
Gooke, wyte me not to garre thé grete(c) a1400 Leg. S. i. 102.
He fel one him, gretande ful sare Ib. xxvii. 282.
Thane was the nuryse for ioy gretand 14.. Acts I. 28/2.
Tua leil … nychtbouris that herde the chylde cryand or gretand c1420 Wynt. v. 890.
All thai … Gretand in tyll sobbyng sare a1500 Seven S. 798.
Scho held chalmer with lytill sang, Gretand and murnand ay amang c1500-c1512 Dunb. vi. 103.
Singand and gretand with hie stevin 1568 Buch. Indict. 37.
Sche spak in plane wordis … sair gretand and tormentand hir self miserabillie(d) c1420 Ratis R. 1719.
He … as a child wald greit Brus xvii. 228 (E).
Ane of thaim … He saw greyt wondre tendrely 1535 Stewart 58388.
I saw hir greit, With bitter teiris garrand hir cheikis weit 1549 Compl. 39/15.
The turtil began for to greit, quhen the cuschet ȝoulit a1568 Scott xxxiv. 67.
Quhen thay [sc. ladies] bewaill and greitis 1589 Sat. P. xlv. 95.
Yit in the pulpet we saw him greit, Playand the publict hypocreit 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 188.
In caise that belt war away, beirdit men suld greitt 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Cvrialitas.
In Frenche brayer … is to crie or greite with ane loud voice ?a1648 Drummond Polemo-Med. 164.]
[Greittans, lookansque grivatè, Barlafumle clamat(e) 1595 Three Reformers 114.
Their off-spring shall have cause to greet a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxvii. 19.
That thou thy cheeks suld weet, And for me greet 1604-31 Craig v. 11.
Whyles grieved, I greete 1676 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV. 544.
They … took … the said Charles against his will, crying and greeting(b) a1400 Leg. S. i. 54.
Ay he grate, quhen he cuth mene Of his master swet spekinge Ib. xviii. 757.
I grat ful sar c1450-2 Howlat 53.
He grat grysly grym 1461 Liber Plusc. I. 386.
He grat owre hym a1500 Seven S. 507.
Quhen that scho hard of that delay Scho grat Ib. 918.
Thai grat with mony saire allace 1535 Stewart II. 279 heading.
How Adamus … grat befoir Columba the halie man 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10259.
Bot with sair hart scho grat with baith hir ene a1578 Pitsc. I. 46/3.
The king being of tender aige lamentit and grat werie sair a1598 Ferg. Prov. 9.
He tint never a cow, that grate for a needle a1651 Calderwood V. 350.
Argile puer gratt, and shoutted on his men(b) 1375 Barb. v. 285.
He gret for joy, and for pité a1400 Leg. S. i. 107.
Quhen Petir can hym se, … he gret faste ?1438 Alex. ii. 3343.
Cassamus for pete gret [: forouttin let] a1500 Henr. Fab. 193.
For quhylis thay leuch, and quhyllis for ioy thay gret [: met, plet] 15.. Lichtoun Dreme 82 (M).
I gret, I dulit, I murnit

b. Const. eftir (something), upon (a person). 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 34.
The gud wyffe gruling befor God gretis eftir grace 1526 Treas. Acc. V. 276.
Gevin at the Kingis command, till puyr wifis that come gretand apoun his grace, for eggis taken fra thame be his servandis

2. tr. a. To weep or shed (tears). a1400 Leg. S. vii. 327.
Thar-for gret he nocht a tere c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2133.
In fell teres that he gane grete a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1141.
The king … Grat mony salt tere

b. To beseech (a person) with tears. a1568 Scott i. 224.
Greting grit God to grant thy Grace gude ȝeir