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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.

Office-hous, -hows, -hous(s)e, n. [Late north. ME. (c 1450), otherwise appar. only Sc.; also mod. Eng. (1720).]

1. A part of a building or, chiefly, an outbuilding in which domestic tasks or other manual work are carried out; a workshop or an outbuilding, more generally.Very common in M. Works Acc.In plur. also without inflexion. c 1459 Liber Aberbr. II. 106.
Quhilk commoun smyth … had his officehows in that land callit Cautey quhilk smyth had nocht thar ane yard nor croft bot that smyde 1479 Acta Aud. 93/1.
Taking … the hous and place of Reras and breking and casting dovne of the office hous of the sammyn 1484 Ib. 146*/2. 1497 Fam. Rose 166.
To ansuer … for the wranguis distructioun of the hede hous of his tour of Kilrawok, the grete hall of the samyn place, with kichin, baikhous, brewhous and uthir office housis therof 1511 Reg. Privy S. I. 339/1. 1513 Treas. Acc. IV. 524. 1527 Ib. V. 326. 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I. 96.
The … mending of the palice of Halyrudhous stabillis … kechings armyng hous and hors myln with utheris office houssis 1535–6 Ib. 167.
With ane tufall to the baikhous for certane office hous biging 1536 Kirkwall Chart. 12. 1556 Melrose Reg. Rec. III. 218.
All our commoun office houses, as conventuale hall quhair we suld eit, kytschin, baikhouse [etc.] 1589 Coll. Aberd. & B. 355. 1589 Exch. R. XXII. 73.
To James Bog in the ailsellar, tuelf elnis lining claith for the service of his office hous 1632 Lithgow Trav., 444. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 211 (see s.v. in OED.). 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 468.
A clear light was seen in every roome, chamers, hall and office house about that close of the building 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII. 356.
A cutthroat in the little office house 1689 Musselburgh 62.
Ground … for building salt pannes, with office-houses 1710 Lanark & R. 85.

2. ? A privy.Cf. hous of office, Office n. 4 b and Hous n.¹ 2. 1688 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 228.
The councell considering there is a necessitie for keeping the cittie neat and clean that there be office houses erected in severall places of the cittie doe therfor appoint Deacon Sandilands to make so many office houses as the magistrats thinks needfull