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

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Od, Ode, a. Also: hod, odd(e. [ME. (14th c.) and e.m.E. od, ode, odd(e, ON. odda- in combs., in which odda is the gen. or comb. form of oddi ‘point, angle, triangle’ whence ‘odd’ (number).]

1. Of a number: Odd, as opposed to even. a1400 Leg. S. xii. 308.
Sa to be in nowmyre ode c1420 Wynt. iii. 662.
To rekyn fra the byrth off God, As yheris hapnys ewyn or od Ib. ii. Prol. 31. 1513 Doug. xiii. Prol. 152.
Hecht to translait his buke … in the numbir od 1567 G. Ball. 202.
Thay sell ȝow als the sacramentis seuin, Thay mycht haif maid as weill aleuin, Few or mony, od or euin, Ȝour pursis for to pyke 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 20 b.
Ane compromit sould be made in ane odde and vnequall number of persons

b. Said of a final or casting vote, which brings the total number of votes to an odd number. 1596 Aberd. B. Rec. II. 139.
By the prouestis od woit, quhilk mackis threttie ane voittis in the haill

c. With man. = Odman n. 1593 Wemyss Chart. 217.
In cais of variance, the rycht potent Andro Earle of Rothes, od and ouersman

d. Od and (nor) evin, evin and od, everything included, without exception, one and all.For od nor evin, on any account.For further examples see Evin a. 6. a1500 Prestis of Peblis 972.
I sweir thé be the heuin I sal hir neuer displeis for od nor euin c1500-c1512 Dunb. xvii. 37 (M).
Than suld I tak bayth ewin and od 1570 Sat. P. xi. 104.
Lest … Ȝe puneist be, baith euin and od 1570 Ib. xx. 120.
Tratours kene That it handly hes streuin For to deface the nobill race Of Stewarts, od and euin

2. Not included in the main reckoning or total, extraneous, additional.(1) 1512 Treas. Acc. IV. 275.
Deliverit to the said James for the od dais betuix the xxvij day of December to the first day of Januar 1525 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 77.
The od furlat [of malt] to be payit siclyk 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 105.
To thair oulkis wage with the uder od day 1533 Bell. Livy I. 47/17.
He colleckit all thir od dayis togiddir and interponit thame with monethis intercalaris 1562 Reg. Privy S. V. i. 308/1.
All and haill the salmond fishing apoun the Watter of Die callit the od half net in the rak 1564–75 Hamilton & Campsie Test. I. 6 b.
ij firlats of malt … iij pekkis of od malt 1574 Hist. Kinloss A. 94.
The remanent landis … and the remanent fischeingis … and odmaill of the said town 1585 Perth B. Ct. 9 Sept.
Fifty ane elnis small lynnyng cleith for … fourty pundis and the od eln giffin to the fifty elnis frelie 1614 Ayr B. Acc. 65.
Ressavit … fra George Masoun notar furth of the silvir of the townis od daillis in Julij 1614 of silvir, xxj li. x s. 1619 Reg. Great S. 739/1.
Lie od-peices … lie od-pairtis 1661 Lamont Diary 132.
Odemonthe 1666 Rothesay B. Rec. 122.
The said ode beir being allowit for dichting thairof(2) 1649 Elgin Rec. II. 435.
The rest sall delyver ther theams … to ther antagonists of ther owne class … and if ther be ane odde the examinator sall receaw his theame(3) 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1671) 182.
An odde one cannot nor shall not be lost in the telling

b. And od, denoting an indefinite number remaining over a round figure. 1657 Balfour Ann. IV. 350.
Generall Blacke passed … with 60 and ode sayle to attend the Holland bushes

3. Of money: Surplus to a definite sum, remaining over in coins of smaller denomination. 1481 Perth Guildry 100 (11 Oct.).
Tweching the clame of vj s. grottis and od siluer of the vsuale mone of Flandris 1482–3 Acta Conc. II. cxxiv.
Johne … sall … pay … the soume of xxxiiij li. iiij s. and od silver 1515 Edinb. Hammermen 85 b.
Ressauit the day of the compt makin of od siluer left furtht of the box xxxvj s. 1562 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 19 Dec.
And gif ony ode siluir be contenit in the testament the samin salbe payit with the first ten merkis at Ȝule nixt to cum 1590–1 Edgar Hist. Dumfries 255.
Thai annualrentis … extendis in the terme to threscoir tuelf pundis with sum od schillingis or thairby 1622-6 Bisset II. 94/12. 1657 Misc. Hist. Soc. VII. 14.
3 pund sterlinge and som od munie 1687 Corshill Baron Ct. 174.
Seaven fourtine shilling peices and some od turnouris

b. Ellevin od schillingis, eleven shillings and an indefinite number of smaller coins amounting to less than a shilling. 1643 Dalyell Darker Superst. 154.
[He got] ellevin od schillingis with twa peckis of meill and thrie tailyeis of beiff

4. Not belonging to any particular total or set, unattached, caual, occasional. 1507 Treas. Acc. III. 289.
For carying of the said weschale fra Menteth to Edinburgh and for ane od mannis weschale for aventure 1533 Ib. VI. 214.
For ane hors hire with ane od coffer 1592–3 Ayr B. Acc. 175.
[From Hew Girven,] of od adventure salt, £10 1595–6 Ib. 190.
[Of 10 bolls] of od salt of ane aventure schip 1642 Edinb. Test. LX. 144.
Ane od lint quheill and ane od broikine woll quheill 1667 Argyll-Lauderdale Lett. 83.
A deale of od discourses, ill knut together

b. Of a period of time: Not forming part of the working day, free. 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 119.
To the barrowmen to beir up the sparis fra the nether baillie quhen they sould haif restit at ther od houris

5. That is the only one of its kind, unique.All and od, each and every one, one and all. a1400 Leg. S. xx. 140.
Say nocht of godis bot of God, Fore that word afferis ay be ode 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 165.
First, cause ȝour prechours, all and od, Trewlie sett furth the wourd of God

6. Unique or outstanding in merit or eminence; eminent, remarkable.Cf. Odly adv. 1574 Davidson Three Reformers 114.
John Knox … Perceaving Robert to be od In cairfulnes and fervencie … With him wes maist familiare Ib. 129.
This woman od Was his great comfort under God a1605 Montg. Misc. P. lv. 3. 1600-1610 Melvill 39 n.
Giff he haid haid Mr Andro's lerning, he wald be the oddest man in Europe 1602 Colville Paraenese 11.
This Sisinnius being the od man of his age for erudition Ib. Ep. 49.

7. Out of the ordinary, peculiar, strange, eccentric. c1650 Spalding II. 271.
This od peice hatcht and maid wp narratiue a1657 Balfour Her. Tracts 7.
An ode distinctione of nobility 1684 Inverness Rec. II. 324.
You had returned his lop. a letter which seimes in a very od maner to expresse your dissatisfaction

8. Particular, special, specific. 1639 Glasgow B. Rec. II. 567.
The bonnock of all malt grund att said mylne … quhilk is the od and speciall benefeit I receave for my service in the said mylne

9. Not even, not balanced, out of true.Cf. Od(d)is n. pl. 1. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 734.
We sal evin that is od, or end in the pane