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

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Maser, -ar, n. Also: mazer(e, masser, mascer, mazzer; mais(s)er, maissair, maischir, maizer. [ME. mazere (c 1200), maser(e, e.m.E. masar, mazar, mazer, OF. masere, masre. Cf. MDu. maeser maple, ON. mǫsur-r maple.]

1. A variety of wood, maple or walnut, used for bowls, goblets and the like and their covers. 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 83.
The hede of siluerof ane of the couiris of masar 1575 Edinb. Test. IV. 42.
My litill tas of masar set in siluer

2. A sort of drinking bowl, a mazer.Orig. one made of mazer-wood. Commonly a costly vessel ornamented with, or having its single foot of, gold or silver. Also applied to vessels of similar design made entirely of metal.(a) 14.. Acts I. 44/2.
The ayre … sall hafe … a mortar, a pestall, a masar, a dubblar 1488 Treas. Acc. I. 83.
Foure masaris callit King Robert the Brocis with a couir 1529 Reg. Great S. 177/2.
Ane silver spune and a masar veand 3 uncis 1530 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 39.
A masser of siluer ourgilt 1543 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 187. 1552 Old Dundee II. 241.
Ane gilt mazere and ane silver spune 1561 Glasgow Prot. II. 94.
The airschep movabile … siklyke as peice masar, chymnis, … clething [etc.] 1563 Old Dundee II. 244.
Ane mazzer, to [£16] 1563–4 Perth B. Ct. 2 (12 Jan.).
Ane masar with ane fit ourgilt with gold 1566 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 42.
Ane masar sett about the lippis with siluer 1569 Edinb. Test. I. 327.
Ane knope of ane masser weyand twa vnces 1570 Canongate Ct. Bk. 189.
Ane silver maser weyand x unce 1573 Reg. Privy C. II. 269.
Ane silver maser dowbill owergilt 1574 Glasgow B. Rec. (M.C.) 34. 1575 Dumfries B. Ct. 25 Oct. 1584 Argyll Fam. Lett. 62.
Ane mascer tua siluer fuitis with their coueris 1606 Edinb. Test. LXI. 114 b.
Ane maser with ane siluer lip weyand ten vnce 1610 Hist. Kinloss A. xii. c 1614 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III. 522.
Ane great sylver maser of sevintein unces or thairby havand the college name gravet 1627 Ib. 529.
Mazer 1643 Edinb. Test. LX. 207 b.
Ane silver mazer weyand fyve wnce(b) 1545 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. (Jam.).
Ane siluer maiser with ane cop of tre, contenand ten wnces of siluer c 1560 Acts & Decr. in Lynd. (S.T.S.) IV. 276.
Ane maischir of siluir 1572 Perth Hammermen 93.
To deliver to the craft ane silver maisser 1578 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 57 b.
Ane tas of trie with ane siluer fuit, twa maissairis c1575 Balfour Pract. 235. 1623 Orkney & Shetl. Test. I. 89.
Ane maisser set with siluer 1643 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III. 534.
[A great] silver maiser

b. fig. — 1629 Boyd Last B. 420.
Take now the cuppe of saluation, the great mazer of His mercie

3. Comb. and attrib. a. Mazer cup, = sense 2.1677 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. III. 144. 1687 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII. 116.
Ane great mazer cup worth thirtie pound sterling 1698 Fountainhall Decis. II. 27.
The lying on the father's bed … drinking in his maizer-cup … inferred vitious intromission

b. Maser tre, (1) = sense 1, (2) the maple tree, (3) = sense 2.(1) 1553 Carte Northberwic 68.
Ane cowp of masar tre futit vytht seluer and circulit about the lippis vytht siluer(2) 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Acer, -eris, the maser tree(3) 1582 Edinb. Test. X. 278.
Ane new maser trie price xxxiij s. iiij d. 1622 Ib. LI. 260.
Ane siluer tas and ane siluer lip of ane maiser tree weyand baith tuelff vnce