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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.

Losin(g, Losan(e, Lozen, n. Also: lossine, losching, looseing; losand, -ayne, lossan(e, loisan; losene, lossen; lossone, -un; loasn. [MF. loseingne, var. of losange, lozenge (Loseng(e n.), and cf. late ME. lozeyn (a 1399), loseyn, loysyn (a 1475) (see sense 2 below). ? Pointing to an orig. Sc. losing with -ing as in ring reign, giving thereafter losin with -in for -ing as in the verbal noun ending.]

1. A lozenge- or diamond-shaped figure, as in heraldry or otherwise. b. An article made in this shape. 1494 Loutfut MS. 139 a.
And als thair is lossanys & sum woid … & sum callis thaim quhen thai ar woid maskillis a1603 Anc. Prophecies 23.
The lord that beares the losanes three, Set into golde with gowles two 1542 Inv. Wardrobe 60.
[Diamond rings,] Ane uther dyamont ground oure with losanis ennamelit with the freir knott; Item ane gryt dyamont set on day licht at the tane end ground in losanis blak ennamelit 1593 Acts IV. 48/2.
That thair salbe ane foure penny pece maid … haueand … on the vther syde ane losane with ane thrissill on euery nuke in forme of a croce 1670 Maxwell Mem. I. 373.
Ane great court laid with whyte and black marble, all lyke lozensb. 1511–12 Treas. Acc. IV. 321.
Deliverit to Johne Aitkyne goldsmitht … to mak foure gret truncheouris and twa losanis for thaim Ib. 532.

2. A (? lozenge-shaped) wafer.Cf. late ME. lozeyn, loseyn, loysyn ? a thin cake, and losenge, -ynge (c 1440) a lozenge-shaped cake (= Loseng(e n.). 1559 Fam. Rose 227.
Twa silwir spwnis for the loschingis to the mes

3. One of the small lozenge-shaped panes of glass of a latticed window. b. A similar pane of a lantern. c. A window-pane, more generally. 1579 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 305.
Mendit in the haill palice of losanis ii^c x pece … vi lib. x s. 1587 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. MS. 286.
xv losaynis of glas … in Mr Wateris hous 1602 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 314.
To repair … the brekking of losands in the said wyndois 1608–9 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III. 562. 1611 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 339.
In that place of single lossones up and downe fourtie and twa is xlii s. 1614 Ib. 345.
For thriescore and ten losins iii lib. v s. Ib. 349.
Ane lossun … i s. 1629 Ib. II. 251.
To George … glaissinwricht for insetting in the windowis … of 282 losenis at xij d. the losene 1650 Cramond Ch. Rathven 20.
In the studie a glassen window with sindrie broken lozens 1664 Glasgow Merchants House 122. 1665 Lauder Jrnl. 114.
Once one of his servants brook a lossen he went mad 1669 Cullen Kirk S. Nov. 14.
For mending a lozen in the church window 12d. 1683 Hassendean Kirk S. 7 Jan.
For 14 losines for the kirk glass windows. [28/-] 1685 Sinclair Satan's Invisible World 35.
Glass flew about so thick, and yet not one lozen of the chamber windows broken 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 364.
2 millan glasses, severall loisans of glasse c 1689 Old Ross-shire I. 234.
Som lossans of glaiss broken 1694 Foulis Acc. Bk. 172.
6 losens 1697 Ib. 282.
A lozen 1697 Irvine Mun. II. 315. 1700 Aberd. Journal N. & Q. VI. 178.
For a neu glas to the south windou … and for three neu loasns for the forestareb. 1696 Edinb. Test. LXXX. 180 b.
Ane large brase lantraine wanting the losins worth i lib.c. 1697 Foulis Acc. Bk. 219.
To George Mein, glasier, for 3 big losens and putten in the drawing roume mended

4. Attrib. a. Of garments: Patterned with lozenges, diamond-patterned; having a criss-cross pattern with lozenge-shaped interstices.Cf. also Allosyne-wise adv. and Losinit a. a1568 Dunb. Bann. MS. p. 47/18.
Sic losin [M. losing] sarkis, sa mony glengoir merkis;? 1529 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 230.
Ane losin serk seuit with gold 1546 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XXI. 55 b.
Ane doublat of lylis satyne … ten losin sarkis 1546 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 239. — 1507 Treas. Acc. III. 253.
For iiij elne satin to be ane gret losin doublat for the King — 1540 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XIV. 54 b.
Ane sword price ix s., twa losin apronis price of thaim xij s. and xv s. — 1568 Edinb. Test. III. 362.
Four losin layn collaris with silk

b. Of sword hilts: Diamond-patterned.With reference to ? the hatchings of the hilt or ? the patterned metalwork of the guard. 1577 Edinb. Test. V. 197 b.
Five pair of halflang hiltis & ane pair of losand hiltis or gairdis with plummettis

c. Lossan(e nail, a door-nail having a lozenge-shaped head. 1557–8 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 246.
iij hundreth lossan naills for the thre tymmer durris 1558–9 Ib. 296.
vij^xx lossane nallis to the dur, price of the hundreth xv s.

d. Lozen armes, funeral hatchments. = Loseng(e b. 1643 Funeral Acc. in Berw. Old Doc. 1 May.
For twa great looseing armes on for the ȝett on for the kirk doore at 12 lib. the peice 1666 Dunbar Social Life II. 84.
For three lairge lossone armes at three punds a peice 1671 Reg. Panmure I. xlv.
[For] painting and guilding vpon buckrum foure foott squar, three lozen armes, beeing his [the Earl's] whole acheifment, suporters, mantlin, crowne, and creast Ib.
For painting of two morte heads for the lozen armes, £2. 8 s.