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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.

Ladill, Laddill, Laidill, n. Also: ladil(e, -yll, -ell, ladle; laddell, laddle; laiddill, laid(d)ell, layd(d)ell, laidle, laydle; leadill, ledle. [ME. ladel, north. (1468–9) laddil, OE. hlædel.]

1. A household ladle.For several more examples see Elcruke n.(a) c1500 Makc. MS. xiii. 36.
Hoc depletorium, a ladill 1499 Glasg. Dioc. Reg. II. 26.
A tangis, a ladile 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 489.
For ij^c scailis vj ladillis 1541–2 Ib. VIII. 51.
For ane kais to four ladillis 1562 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. App. 647/2.
Twa skumming ladillis, and ane pasueir ladill 1565 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 97.
3 yrne ladillis, 2 skemmares a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1078.
Litle luk for the hyre women to get quhair the gudewife liks the ladill Ib. No. 1406.
Oft the ladle in the pot maks thin kaile 1622 Elgin Rec. II. 174.
Niniane Dauidsone took out the chalmer key with the crook of the ladill(b) 1517 Caldwell P. I. 56.
vj laddillis, four eulcruks 1562 Will A. Betoun 225.
Ane small yron brander and twa yron laddles 1649 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 781.
Twa yron laddles pryce of ilk one twentie shilling 1648 Linlithgow Palace 332.
Ane laddell, ane skomer, ane brander(c) a1568 Bann. MS. 137 b/27.
Ane ark, ane almry, and laidillis two Ib. 138 a/55.
I haif … Twa lusty lippis to lik ane laiddill c 1572 Mar & Kellie MSS. Suppl. 31.
Kitcheing … tua laiddillis and a skummar 1631 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 34.
Ane cruik and tanges, and ane laiddill 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII. 45.
Ane brace laiddell, ane flesch cruik 1664 Brechin Test. VI. 288 b.
A pott with a laidell(d) 1627 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III. 529.
Twa laidles and ane scummer 1635 Haddington Mem. II. 303.
In the kitching … ane laydle, ane skumer 1696 Edinb. Test. LXXX. 197 b.
The clips and the laidle worth viij s.(e) 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 22 Nov.
For a woden leadill 1649 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III. 536.
Ane yron ledle

b. A ladle or scoop used for other purposes, as founding or gunnery.(1) 1496 Treas. Acc. I. 296.
For a ladil of irne for the plumbis ȝetting and a spune of irne 1529 M. Works Acc. (ed.) 2.
For ane greit ladill to the castyne of boltis … with leid 1535–6 Ib. 185.
For … ane irne ladyll to melt leid with 1617 Ib. II. 69.
To Thomas Foster for making of saker ladill and furnesing of bras with a ladill to a moyan(2) 1507–8 Treas. Acc. IV. 102.
For ane irn ladill to mak gwn powdir with, v s.(3) 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 171.
Gun laidells … handspaiks … pouther hornes, gun spounges and uther necessaries(4) 1681 Fawside Coal Compt 76.
To Jean Bucckles for her shoes & ladell 02: 00: 0

c. Comb. in laiddill-pan, laddell-pot, = a small pot which can be used as a ladle. 1607 Edinb. Test. XLIII. 201 b.
Ane meikel pan and ane laiddill pan of bras 1653 Ib. LXVII. 146.
Ane laddell pott of silver estimat to fourtie pund

2. a. A ladle used as an official measure, esp. that used in taking the ‘ladle’ dues. b. This amount of grain, meal, etc., taken as ‘ladle’ duty. c. The burghal duty of this name.The ‘ladle’ was a duty of a ladleful, stated to be equal to a fourth of a peck, from every sack or load of grain, meal, flour and other commodities brought into the burgh. Among the burghs which used this term and levied the toll it designated, were Glasgow, Dundee, Stirling, Kirkcudbright and Peebles and also a number of others (appar. chiefly in Fife and the West: for Pittenweem cf. Lade n.¹ 2(1) (b), quot. 1589). As, in some instances at any rate, the proceeds were intended to be applied to keeping clean the streets and market-place of the burgh, the name gate-dichting (q.v.) is sometimes given as an alternative. See also Ladill-full n. 2.(a) 1574 Glasg. B. Rec. I. 14.
The casualities of the mercat callit the ladill is sett to Robert Millare, meleman, quhill Witsonetysday nixtocum for the sowme of nyne scoir merkis 1575 Ib. 38.
William Glen, baxtare, is fund in the wrang … for defrauding of the ladle in geving of the quheit furlott to mett, the custum thairof beyng vnpayit 1586 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. I. 211.
The quhilk day the ladill of the said burgh vsit and vont is set to James McIldonart for tuelf merks money 1587 Kirkcaldy B. Rec. 118.
The visitoris to haif ane comoun misour, the quantitie of ane ladell quhais full to be tane furthe of ilk sak for thair painis 1592 Glasg. Chart. II. 6 n.
Quhairthrow the firmararis and havearis of the said ladill wantis the dewitie thairof 1608 Glasg. B. Rec. I. 274.
The proffeit … of the commowne mylnis, custome of the ladill, salt and linget ladillis, custome of the brige [etc.] Ib.
The custome of the twa ladillis, victuell, salt and linget 1611-27 St. A. B. Acc. in Ayr B. Acc. xliii, n. 7.
[The] ladill of the corne and maill marcatis 1613 Stirling B. Rec. I. 134.
The custome dewtie of the ladill of this burghe is grittlie defraudit1619-20 St. A. B. Acc. in Ayr B. Acc. xlix. 1644 Glasg. B. Rec. II. 71.
It is to be remembred that the ladillars hes gottin seavin ladils, and … ane new ane ordainit to be mad … to mak vp eight 1661 Ure Rutherglen 47.
The ladle is to contain a fourth part of a peck, and is to be taken out of each sake of beir, malt, meil, peis, beines, wheat 1667 Rothesay B. Rec. 144.
All victuall that sall be importit within this brughe sall be lyabill to pay ane ladill furthe of ich boll without exceptioune 1669 Peebles B. Rec. II. 81.
All commoun victualleris … to pay the ladill to the customer, whether they sell victuall in the mercate or in thair awne houssis, for all they sell 1681 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS. (2 March).
Decernes the persones ffolouing to pay to John Thomson elder the ladles of meall vnderwritine viz. William McKim eight ladles 1695 Peebles B. Rec. II. 150.
[The] customes of the said burgh, with the ladle, weigh-house and pertinents, which ladle is to be filled by the ouneris of the meall themselves 1701 Campbeltown B. Rec. MS.
Thair is a ladle to be paid out of each boll bear Kintyre measure … the ladle to be a fourt pairt of the peck(b) 1693 Culross B. Rec. in Scot. Ant. IV. 83.
John Blair Girtdlesmith to deliver the laddell a measure appointed to take up the meal 1693 Glasg. Bakers 92.
All wheat or rye brought by the members of the said incorporation of baxters into this citie or myllne … that hath been once watter-borne shall in stead … of the laddle formerly exacted pay only fyve firlotts of every hundred and fyve bolls of all wheat or rye 1698 East Loth. Antiq. Soc. II. 45.
Ane yearlie pension of [£24] etc … , and the benefit of the laddle at the mercat providing that he exact nothing under one furlet of corne or ane furlet of mealle(c) 1595–6 Glasg. Burgesses 22.
The skayth sustenit be him of the 27 merks quhilk he debursit to pay for the laidill 1655 Peebles B. Rec. II. 33.
Alexander Lauder, toun thesaurer, to provyde ane commoun laidill and weycht back to the customer for the tounes use 1661 Glasg. B. Rec. II. 464.
That no [sic] sort of victuall, such as vngrund malt oatis meill wheit beines and peas … shall pay the custom dew to the laidle 1664 Glasg. Chart. II. 334.
For the dewtie of the laidelles the said year £1566, 13, 4 d. 1700 Lanark B. Rec. 263.
A petition … desireing a secure meill mercat to be built, and offering a laidle for ilk seck as is payed in Glasgow(d) 1608 Glasg. B. Rec. II. 556.
The custome dewtie of the leadill of all maner of cornis and victuall that we sall happin to by within this burghe 1670 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. MS. 4 Oct.
Settis the leadill vsit and wont to Johne McClellane

d. Attrib. with custome, dewtie, dewes, meill. 1611 Conv. Burghs II. 315.
The saidis commissionars assolȝies the said burgh of Glaskow fra the said laidill custome 1616 Stirling B. Rec. I. 144.
Unto the tyme that the saidis mylnes be acquyred … we are content that thair sall be ane impost of … tua schillingis of ilk fyve firlottis of landwart malt that sall be … not presenttit to the mercatt, in contentatioun of the ladyll dewtie thairof 1622 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II. 279.
The ladill meill 1636 Stirling  B. Rec. I. 175.
That … all … friemen within the said burgh who sall hapin to bring ony sort of victuall within the same from ony pairt of the kingdome … sall pay to the customair of the said burgh out of everye lead … ane pretendit unlauchfull custome … callit be thame the laydell dewtie Ib. 176.
The layddell dewtie of the said burgh of Sterling and of all uther burrowis of this kingdome, utherwyse callit the geat dychtynges, gevin fra the beginyng to the burrowes for keiping of the geattis of the burghes cleine, is onlie extendit aganes unfremen 1661 Glasg. B. Rec. II. 464.
That all victuall imported from all foraigne natiounes … shall be frie of all laidle dewes heirafter