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

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Knop, n. Also: knopp(e, knope, knoip, knoop, knoup. [ME. (14th c.) and e.m.E. knoppe, knop(p: cf. OFris. knop, MDu. cnoppe, cnope (Du. knop), MLG. knoppe, etc. A later variant is Knap n.¹ Cf. also Knup and Knob.]

1. A knob or boss (chiefly one for ornament), of carved, turned or moulded work or the like, on an object, building, etc. Also attrib. with cenopar (cinnabar) and mould. 1494 Edinb. Hammermen in Mill Mediæv. Plays 225.
For mendin of the iiij gret tortas & makin of iij gret knoppis of gren walx to thaim 1506 Edinb. Hammermen 55.
Till a turnour for vj knoppis makin till the candilhedis 1506 Glasgow Dioc. Reg. III. 152.
Fife silouris … with hede and frontellis, fiellis with Knoppis. and with thre gret hyngaris and knoppis, with rynrufe and foure lefis about ilk knop in ilk siloure 1506–7 Treas. Acc. II. 272.
The font cover … ane knop to it 1507 Ib. IV. 73.
For gilting of the knop of the Kingis cowp 1508 Ib. 137. 1511 Ib. 533.
Ane bois cowp of silvir ourgilt, wantand the knop 1511 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 103.
[He] sall rais the prik of the said stepil … witht the knop and cok one the hed of the samyn 1535–6 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 187.
For ii^c xvi dowble bottis croce hedit and tynnit for knoppis and syling 1561 Inv. Wardrobe 139.
Ane cannabbie … with the knop of trie 1565 Treas. Acc. XI. 430.
Ane knope ouregilt witht gold to hing the pavilȝeone [of a bed] xv s. 1569 Edinb. Test. 327.
Ane knope of ane maser weyand twa vnces a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun 35.
In the quhilk gardin I haue sein fyve scoir torris of tymber, … ilk ane … haveand tua knoppis on the heid, ane aboue ane vther, als grit evirilk ane as ane row-boull, overgilt with gold 1612 Bk. Rates 317.
Key knopps the groce contening tuelf dozen vi li. 1645 Rec. Old Aberd. II. 151.
For puting on the knops on the loft 1683 Inventory in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS.) 5 (9–10 May).
Four gilded knoups for the top of the bedattrib. 1552 Treas. Acc. X. 96.
xiij unce knopcenopar, price of the unce ij s. vj d … . Item, ane stane of Flanderis ocker [etc.] 1645 Edinb. Test. LXI. 184 b.
Of small mouldis for water pottis, … Item, ane vther mould, viz. ane hand, bottome and knop mouldis thairto, … Item, ane pynt mould with lid hand & knop mould thairto

2. a. A tassel.? Properly the rounded part or knob of the tassel, the fringe or tail part being freq. separately designated as the fas. 1473 Treas. Acc. I. 19.
½ elne of rede for knoppis to the Kingis harnessingis 1503 Ib. II. 215.
Sewing silk … to be … knoppes and stringis for caprisonis and bedis 1506 Ib. III. 282.
For xij hankis of gold to be gnoppes to the tunycales 1539 Ib. VII. 155.
To the Kingis jurnall … xiiij knoppis 1539–40 Ib. 285.
To be twa knoppis and ane fas to ane renȝe … twa dowbyll hank of sewing silver 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 70.
Ane quhinyear with ane scheith … with ane gryt knop of gold and fas of gold wyre 1543 Treas. Acc. VIII. 190.
To be hingerris and drawerris to the polk and knoppis and fassis thairto, ane unce fyne grey sewing silk 1547 Stirling B. Rec. I. 49.
Ane hat … with ane drawand chenyie and ane knop 1549 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 196.
iiij greit knoppis of gold and silk vith thair gret corddis of grene silk at hang at the sacrament hous Ib.
iiij knoppis of gold tane fra the ij lest goldin cussingis 1573 Inv. Wardrobe 191.
My lord had knoppis of beddis of his awin of auld and hes a gret nowmir presentlie 1592 Edinb. Test. XXIV. 73 b.
Certane naipkin knoppis sauld for ij s. 1656–7 Fam. Rose 367.
For knoppis to a napkin 0: 6: 0 1660 Bk. Dunvegan I. 188.
4 stand of feine knops at 42s. 1683 Inventory in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS.) 6 (9–10 May).
Fyve courtines, four knoups for the bedd all of tenni perpetuana lyned with tannie of yeallow lace 1699 Wemyss Fam. P. MS.
Silk knoops and tassells

b. A (? globular or tassel-like) jewelled ornament or ornamental bead inserted into or hanging from a neckchain, necklace, belt or the like. 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 80.
The grete bedis of gold contenand sex score twa bedis and a knop 1516 Inv. Wardrobe 27.
Ane new chenye of gold contenand xl linkis and five knoppis 1549 Stirling B. Rec. I. 59.
Ane chenyie of gold with sex great knoppis 1568 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 644/1.
Ane belt and ane cowter … contenand of knoppis and intermiddis … sax schoir and ane 1573 9th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 192/2.
Tuelf perlis all sett in knoppis of gold 1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 247.
Ane carcat … contenand sevin greit perle and aucht knoppis of small perle, every knop contenand fyftene small perle 1578 Inv. Wardrobe 263.
A belt of counterfute jasp and small knottis of gold … with a knop of gold at the end Ib. 267.
A belt with … xxi knottis of perles … & of smaller knoppis of perll xxii every pece contenand ii perle 1579 Ib. 289.
A pair of beiddis of knoppis of aggattis with a heid, a knop of gold and fas of purpour silk 1602 4th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 526/2.
I laive to … my oy … four tablle diamontis and ane knoip of sevin perllis

3. The bud, or rounded or compact head, of a flower. c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 23.
The rosis yong, new spreding of thair knoppis, War powderit brycht with hevinly beriall droppis Id. lxxxvii. 26.
Roys red and quhit, … New of thi knop at morrow fresche atyrit 1513 Doug. ix. vii. 151.
Or as the chesbo hedis oft we se … Bow down thar knoppis Ib. xii. Prol. 123.
The roys knoppys, tutand furth thar hed 1535 Stewart 6558.
Quhen flouris fair out of thair knoppis sprang a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 332.
The cherries hang abune my heid … Reflex of Phoebus of the firth Newe colourit all thair knoppis

4. a. A knob or lump, more generally. b. A protuberance or swelling on the body, a lump etc. (Cf. Knot n. 6 d). a1450 Fifteen Ois 43.
Buffat and scurgit at ane pillar With rude knoppis smytand sair 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. MS. 203 (7 Dec.).
That this hors vas crukit and had ane knoip of his ner forder knee