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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.

Member, n. Also: -ir, -yr(e, -ar, -re, menber, -ar. Plur. membris, -ys, -es, member(r)is, -ir(r)is, menbrys, -yce. [ME. (c 1290) and e.m.E. membre, member, OF. membre, L. membrum.]

1. A bodily member.One of the parts of the body of a human or animal, the other parts as opposed to the head; sometimes spec. a limb or other separable part as opposed to the trunk. c 1420 Liber Calchou 449.
In man ar iij principal partis and membris, the hart, the leuer & the harnys c1420 Wynt. vi. 1045.
Hys menbrys 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 135.
The dome bath of lif & membris 14.. Acts I. 92*/2.
In perall of lyff and menbryce a1450 Fifteen Ois 75. c1450-2 Howlat 354. 1456 Hay I. 184/14.
To tynsale of the leste member of his body Ib. II. 158/35.
Sa is thare in the mannis hede his v wittis and othir vertues in his membris quhilkis governis all his body Ib. 121/31. Ib. 125/9. Ib. 160/34. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 154.
Thair membaris quuke Ib. 3516.
All my memberis revin my body fra c1490 Irland Asl. MS. I. 68/16. 1505 Creswell Royal Coll. Surgeons Edinb. 4.
That he knaw anotamea nature and complexioun of every member in manis bodie a1500 Prestis of Peblis 106. c1500-c1512 Dunb. ix. 155. 1513 Doug. vi. x. 35.
Sum thar … Thar membris gan exers and … Thai fal to werslyng Ib. viii. vii. 85.
To … eys hys wery membris Ib. ii. iii. 54. Ib. iv. x. 71. 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxxiv. Id. Livy I. 185/3.
The wame … nurissis all the laif of the membris 1533 Boece ii. v. 64.
Giff at the hunting ony hound … losit owdir e or vthir membir 1549 Compl. 11/31. Ib. 124/23. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8162.
It … was a man … be all signes of members naturall 1562 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 138.
The thre principale membris of the said lordis rycht arme to be cuttit 1562-3 Winȝet II. 19/28. Ib. 58/14.
That he prefer the helthe of the haill body to ane … corruptit membre a1568 Bann. MS. 134 b/7.
Quhen the falt is in the heid The menbaris ar seik 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 161/453. 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Artus, the ioyncture of the members a1585 Montg. Maitl. Q. lxiv. 13.
Makdome and proper memberis all 1591 Crim. Trials I. ii. 237. 1596 Dalr. I. 92/4.
To make the memberis of thair body mair firme 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 136.

b. = Privy member, genital; in plur., private parts, genitalia.Also secrete, privat or previe member(is, membris genitive.(1) c1420 Wynt. i. 104.
Thair nakyde membrys for tyll hyde Ib. 456.
His fadrys membrys 1490 Irland Mir. I. 66/31.
Na schame … of thai membris Ib. 94/22. 1531 Bell. Boece I. ix.
Seid infuse in membris genitive c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1599.
With his membris bair 1562-3 Winȝet I. 30/18.
To the seruice of our belliis and of the memberis under the bellie 1590 Crim. Trials I. ii. 206.
For gewing of ane secreit member to Johnne Coutis, and gewing and taking of power fra sindrie mennis memberis 1596 Dalr. I. 93/21.(2) 1531 Bell. Boece II. 109.
His limmis, feit and secreit membris Ib. 511.
Ane linnin curche to hid his privat memberis a1538 Abell 116 a.
Secret membris baith of man and wemen 1563 St. A. Kirk S. in Misc. Maitl. C. III. 307.
At his secreit membre falyeit hym wes newer ereckit 1568 Skeyne Descr. Pest 33. a1578 Pitsc. I. 233/9.
The legis and previe memberis c1600 Medical Recipes 90 b.
The priuy membris and the bleddir 1658 Sc. Ant. IX. 50.
In hir secret member

2. fig. Of persons as component or as subordinate members of a metaphorical ‘body’ or society.(1) 1490 Irland Mir. I. 28/4.
Euirilk-ane suld … help vthire as brethire, scisteris, membris, and partis of a body 1559 St. A. Kirk S. 7.
Knawand … that we are commandit to june ourselfis togiddir as memberis of ane body(2) 1456 Hay I. 66/33.
In all thing that has partis and membris, it is necessitee that it have a hede c1515 Asl. MS. i. 312/27.
For Crist is hed & we memberis 1528 Lynd. Dreme 882.
For quhen the heddis ar nocht delygent The membris man, on neid, be necligent a1538 Abell 108 a.
For reformatioun of halie kirk … baith in heid & membris c1530-40 Stewart Maitl. F. clv. 41. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 1046. c1552 Id. Mon. 4916.(3) 1569 Reg. Privy C. II. 66.
The authoris and members of the said commotioun

b. A ‘member’ of the ‘body of Christ’ or Christian society, a representative or adherent of Christ. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 51/14.
We are membris of the haly body mystice of Jhesu 1560 Knox in Cal. Sc. P. I. 542.
So that Christ Jesus be not in his membris openlie troden under the feitt of the ungodlie 1562-3 Winȝet I. 30/21.
Pure nedy memberis of Christis bodye a1578 Pitsc. II. 78/10.
Memberis in Christ 1582 Reg. Privy C. III. 493.
Enemie to Chryst and to all his faithfull members 1588 King Cat. 231. 1631 Milne Rental Perth Hosp. 249.
To the puir membris of Jesus Christ

c. An agent or ‘limb’ of Satan. Also transf.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 301.
The membyre of Sathane c1490 Irland Asl. MS. 7/24.
Wikkit Jewis memberis of the ewill spreit ? c 1500 Rathen Manual 28/1. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lx. 20.
Misgydit memberis of the dewellis 1525 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. V. 30. 1562-3 Winȝet I. 30/1.
In the dispyte of the deuyll and all his furius memberis 1563-72 Ferg. Tracts 16.
Their new forged religion in the … dongeon of Sathan's workehous, and practised be … his members and luftennents hear in earth(2) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 2573.
Unmercifull memberis of the Antichrist 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 401. c1568 Lauder Minor P. iii. 111.
We ar bot membris of iniquytie(3) 1562 Montgomery Mem. II. 184.
The said Erle … hes ceissit this lang tyme to be heid of the said Jayne, bot he is becummin the member or seruand to ane harlat

3. A subordinate official of a court of law, other than the judge. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1195 (Bass.).
‘Thairfoir, juge, as suspect I yow declyne; And schortlie, of this court ye memberis all, Baith assessouris, clerk and advocate, [etc.]’ 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 256/2.
To mak … dempstaris and all uther officiaris and membris of court neidfull, and als deputis ane or maa 1533–4 Dunferm. Reg. Ct. 108.
For exceptiones aganys the jugis and membris of curt 1565 Instit. Ct. Sess. 13 b.
And memberis of the same sic as the aduocattis, men of law, scrybis etc. 1566 Old Ross-shire I. 16. c 1566 Fife Sheriff Ct. 406.
Than the lord schiref [etc.] … thair clerk, seriand and dempstar quhilkis ar the principall memberis of court without quhome na court may be lauchfullie fensit c1575 Balfour Pract. 272.
The lordis of sessioun and memberis thairof 1593 Brunton & Haig 200.¹ Skene Verb. S. s.v. Curia (see Key n.¹ 2 b.)¹ 1609 Peebles B. Rec. I. 76. 1629 Misc. Spald. C. V. 219. 1651 Nicoll Diary 65.
The Lordis of Counsell, Sessioun, … with thair clerkis and memberis of court 1693 Acts IX. 262/2.
By … all the Lords of Session, advocats and all others members of the Colledge of Justice

4. One of the officers, below the captain, of a company or troop of soldiers. 1570 Cal. Sc. P. III. 341.
[50 horsemen with the captain and] membiris [monthly] 1588 Reg. Privy C. IV. 315.
Lieutenants, cornettis, and utheris memberis of thair cumpanyes

5. An individual as member of various other bodies.

a. Of the Church. 1561 Knox II. 274.
It is understand to the Kirk of God and memberis thairof 1562-3 Winȝet I. 108/14.
Christe clengeis His Kirk (of the quhilk we ar membris) 1566 Bk. Univ. Kirk I. 81. 1580 Conf. Faith in Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxx.
This true reformed Kyrk, to the quhilk we joyne our selues … as lyuely menberis of the same 1581 Burne in Cath. Tr. 143/2.
Suppois sum of the … membirris of the Kirk hes bene vicious 1602 Colville Paraenese Ep. ii.

b. Of a local congregation; of a kirk session; of the General Assembly; etc. 1569 Canongate Ct. Bk. 51.
As ane parte of the bodie and memberis of thair kirk and parochin 1595 St. A. Kirk S. 805.
Ony member of the sessioun 1596 Melvill 351.
That the Assemblie command all thair members [etc.] 1603 Elgin Rec. II. 109.
Gif he live nocht honestlie … that he sall neuir have access among the members of this congregation 1619–20 Perth Kirk S. MS. 5 Jan.
Eldaris and wtheris memberis of the sessioun 1689 Cramond Kirk S. III. 6 Dec.
The severallmembers of session

c. Of a College or University. 1595 St. A. Kirk S. 802.
Maister Androw Meluill, Rectour of the Universite and remanent membris thairof quha wer elderis this last yeir c1650 Spalding I. 139.
To be removit as vnnecessar memberis fra the said college, … the maisteris and inward memberis of the said college 1679 Aberd. Council Lett. VI. 163.

d. Of a guild or craft. 1518 Edinb. B. Rec. I. 183.
The said maister counsalouris and membris of the said fraternite 1667 St. A. Baxter Bks. 134.
That nae decan presume … to poynd … any member of thair severall traidis

e. Of Parliament. f. Of a town council.e. 1645 Acts VI. i. 476/2, etc. 1662 Nicoll Diary 369. 1690 Cramond Kirk S. III. 10 Apr.f. 1663 Dumbarton B. Rec. 82.

6. a. A social group or class, and b. A person, as a ‘member’ or component part, of the state as ‘body politic’, or of a burgh as a ‘corporate body’. c1420 Wynt. (ed. Laing) III. p. 73.
This realm and the croun, wyth alle the membris and apertinens 1549 Compl. 124/17.
The lauberaris ar ane notabil membyr of ane realme 14.. Acts (1566) To Reader iij.
Lawis … ar … the commoun … obligatioun of the realme and of ilk member thairof to vther, efter the quhilk it appertenis all the saidis members to leid thair lyfe a1578 Pitsc. I. 23/4.
He sould cut of all the wickit memberis perturbaris of the commonweill 1602 Haigh Mining P. 12 Oct.
To creat bailleis officiaris and vtheris memberis within the samyn 1623 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 210.
The merchand estait a most profitabill member of the commoun welthe 1660 Ib. IV. 9.
Members of the burgh of Edinburgh