Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

Medicin(e, Medecin(e, n.¹ Also: medy- and -cyn(e, -cen(e, -cein, -ceane, -syne, -(s)sin, -sene, -sein, meddicine, mediecein, meadysen, madicyne, madecyne. [ME. medicine (a 1225), medecyne (Chaucer), etc., OF. medecine, medicine (F. médecine), L. medicīna.]

1. The art or science of healing; medical remedies or treatment collectively or in general.Also in the titles doctor, reidar, professor of (in medicine.(1) c 1420 Liber Calchou 448.
Her begynnys a nobyl tretyse … for medicene agayne the pestilens jwyll 1456 Hay I. 282/21.
For oure maisteris … gevis the gold … in medicyne to folk that ar debilitez in thair nature 1456 Ib. II. 114/5. 1456 Ib./15.
For better is hele na all the medicyne 1456 Ib. 122/15, 129/10. a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 1316.
In seiknes corporall … Men will … thar desyris submyt to medycyne a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 777. a1500 Lancelot of the Laik 2054.
The lech withouten medysyne [sc. God] 1503 Aberd. B. Rec. I. xl.
[To] vesy tham that beis seik and schow tham his medicin 1508–9 Reg. Privy S. I. 274/2.
Be negligent cure and medicine 1535 Stewart 51676. c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1436.
Ane fair ludgyne Quhair he ressauit medicyne 15.. Exchequer Rolls XVIII. lxxiv.
The masteris of medicyne a1578 Pitsc. I. 235/17.
King James … was weill leirnit in the art of mediecein and also ane cuning sorugenar 1596 Dalr. II. 259/25. 1596 Ib. I. 140/5.
That the King [James V] suner diet throuch meddicine than otherwyse he wald haue done 1685 Edinb. Univ. Chart. 136.
Indowed with the privalledge of erecting professiones of all sorts particullarly of medicen(b) 1483 Acts Lords Auditors *112/1.
Thre Inglis bukis … the thrid of medecyn c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 30.
He murdreist mony in medecyne c1552 Lynd. Mon. 675, 3583. (Henr.) a1568 Bannatyne MS 141 b/title.
Sum practysis of medecyne 1576 Criminal Trials I. ii. 53.
To whom sche applyit that kynd of medecine(c) (a1568 Dunb.) Bannatyne MS 109 a/41.
In madecyne the most practitianis, Leichis [etc.](2) c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 4.
Doctouris in jure and medicyne 1542–3 Reg. Privy S. III. 2/2.
Maister Michaell Durhame, doctor in medicinis 1579 Atholl Mun. I. No. 90. — 1550 Treasurer's Accounts IX. 381.
Writtingis … maid be my lord of Sanctandros doctour of medecine 1552 Ib. X. 83. 1565 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 701/2.
Doctouris of medecine and ypotingaris 1587 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 28.
Mr. Gilbert Skeyne doctor of medicene 1588 Criminal Trials I. ii. 162.
Ane grit scoller and doctor of medicin 1608 Douglas Corr. 193.
As the principall doctouris of medeceane in this cuntrie … testefeit — 1560 Buke of Discipline 214.
Ane reidar of medicine who shall compleit his course in five years 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. ii.
Ane reidar in medicine — 1579 Acts III. 180/2.
That the principall of Sanctsaluatouris College salbe professour in medicine 1599 Reg. Privy S. in Comrie Hist. Sc. Medic. I. 351.
Maister Peter Lowe, our chirurgiane, … with … Mr. Robert Hamiltone, professoure of medecine1685 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 150.

2. A substance or preparation used to cure disease, a medicament, a medicine. 1375 Barb. ix. 38.
His men no medicine couth get That euir mycht to the King availȝe 1375 Ib. 232. a1400 Legends of the Saints vi. 491. a1400 Ib. xi. 24.
But ony medycyne [L. medicamentis] ore gris c1450-2 Howlat 29. 1456 Hay II. 142/20. 1456 Ib. 109/25.
A generale medicyne to hele all maladies of poysoun a1500 Henr. III. 151/28.
Ane medecyne for the maw 1490 Irland Mir. I. 42/7.
Medycyn c1490 Id. Asl. MS. I. 8/19. a1500 Buke of the Sevyne Sagis 709. 1551 Hamilton Catechism 123.
Sum special medicin, gevin be sum expert medicinar 1562-3 Winȝet II. 65/2.
That na man almaist, quhen he sal reid the medicine and remeid writtin vpon it mot suspect vennum a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 366.
Butyre and beir caf are gude medicin, the ane is binding and the other is lowsing 1631 Annandale Corr. 284.
I hef no ows of medesein 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 22 Nov.
For your lo. heauing meadysen Colvil 1681 Whig's Suppl. ii. 8.
These turpentine [etc.] … His medicine for passage sweerplur. 1549 Treasurer's Accounts IX. 336.
Ane small tyn flacoun to turs medicinis for his graces sair syde 1557 Wemyss Corr. 12.
It behuiffit him … to vse medicinis 1567 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 240.
To … ceis fra venting of spices in commoun, vtherwise than in thair medicenis 1580 Misc. Bann. C. II. 206.
To Alexander Barclay, ypothinger, for his drogges and mediceins … xl s.

b. Medical efficacy, curative value. 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxvii.
Within the bowellis of thir geis is ane fatnes of singulare medicine

3. transf. and fig. a. Applied to various spiritual remedies.Also, a salutary experience provided by God as a spiritual lesson or remedy.Also plur. c1420 Wynt. v. 3717.
Perchans it may be medycyne The cumbyre that thow art fallyn in c1420 Ib. 3826, viii. 2434. c1420 Ib. v. 3904.
This is bot halesum medycyne For the wodnes off my syne a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris iiii (Harl.).
[Remembrance of the Passion] Ane [v.rr. As of, As] mychtie medicyne and fructfull confectioun 1490 Irland Mir. I. 47/12, 80/32, 128/22, etc. c1490 Id. Asl. MS. I. 16/18, 22/32. c1550-60 Arundel MS. 243/169. 1553–4 Knox III. 132.
[Adversity] is a medicyne, and therfore presently it can not be pleasinge 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 128.1561 Q. Kennedy Compendious Ressonyng (ed.) 159/9, etc. 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 18.plur. c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 8/1.
[Christ] has left ws mony and syndry wayis medicinis and remedis

b. A remedy or cure for anything. ?1438 Alex. i. 1359.
He … With ane sweit medicyne sall now Mak quyte of that that greuisȝow a1500 Prestis of Peblis 156 (Asl.).
To seike folkis or in to sairenes syne, Till all thai wald be mendis or medicyne c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxii. 54.
I ask ȝow, schir … Sum medecyne gife that ȝe micht 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 1/9.
Ane immortal ande supernatural medicyne to cure … al the … affligit pepill a1568 Bannatyne MS 225 a/2.
Fair weill the weill of sweitast madicyne c1600 Montg. Suppl. ix. 21. 1615 Highland P. III. 225.
Give sik sudent medesin had nott bein aplyid to me

4. Attrib.: Of medicine; medicinal. 1576 Glasgow Burgesses 4.
To hald his booth in medisene drogis for seruing of the town 1579 Edinburgh Testaments VII. 176.
Ane … medicine buke 1587 Ib. XVIII. 154.
His siluer medicine goblet 1618 Misc. New Spald. C. I. 120.
Dwn, Mr Patrick (medicine doctor) 1631 Ib. 160.