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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Law-biding, -byding, a. [Law n.¹; Bide v. 5. Only Sc.]

‘Waiting the regular course of law’ (Jam.), submitting to the law, as opposed to fugitive from it. 1571 Bann. Memor. 94.
Give he … persistis in his arrogant malice, he sall not want … accusatoris … , provyding he be then law byding, and not fugitive, according to his accustomet maner Ib. 100.
Whither I salbe law-byding or not at that tyme I know not, for my dayes and wayes ar in the handis of Him vpon whome I depend and who … hes yit preserved me to this decreipit aige which now is not apt to flie farre 1610 Highland P. III. 119.
Ane ample criminall iurisdictioun over the boundis and landis of diuers baronis and law byding subiectis, who … ar ansuerable and obedyent to iustice 1620 Calderwood VII. 441.
They answeired, they wold not make a law to themselfs: if they transgressed anie law, they were lawbyding 1633 Lithgow Poet. Rem. 94.
So lawyers seaze on part, and right it stands For lawlesse lairds to haue law-byding lands 1634 Aberd. Council Lett. II. 22.
That the goodis are lawfull and boght frome a law-biding man according to burgh and hamald 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1891) 218.
I cannot take God's word without a caution, as if Christ … were not in my books responsal, and law-biding 1640 Ib. 604.
His absolute liberty is law-biding a1659 W. Guthrie Christian's Great Interest (1755) 112.
The soul is pursued for guilt more or less and is not law-biding: Christ Jesus is the city of refuge … and … the poor man who wins hither is safe c 1666–78 McCrie Mem. Veitch (1825) 413.
One whom Blackwood told us, not being a law-biding man, would not be acceptable 1675 Wodrow Hist. (1825) II. 291.
[They] were answerable and law-biding for themselves