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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.

Oppres, v. Also: opprese, oppresse; opres; appres. P.p. oppressit, etc.; opprest, etc.; oppres. [ME. oppress(e (Rolle), opress(e (14–15th c.), opprese (c 1485), also appres, apresse (14–15th c.), OF. oppresser, apresser (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), med. L. oppressare, freq. of L. opprimere, to press, crush, overwhelm, suppress, in late L. to force (a woman).]

1. tr. To oppress, tyrannize over, victimize. Also fig.pres. t. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 63.
O strang tirrand … , Just men oppressand c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 111.
And lat no bowgle … The meik pluch ox oppres c1536 Lynd. Compl. Bagsche 44.
How euerilk dog I did oppres a1586 Maitland Ho. Seytoun x.
Oppres thame [tenants] nocht thy self be importable service 1562-3 Winȝet I. 106/8.
Can a man luue his brother sa layng as he … oppressis him be violence and fraud? 1567 Acts III. 31/2.
Permittand thame to reif, herrie & oppres thair nychtbouris a1578 Pitsc. II. 110/5.
Opprese 1596 Dalr. I. 215/22.
Contumeliouslie with weiris thay vex the confedrat kingis … and vehementlie oppressis thame 1604 Inverness Rec. II. 26.
As ane maisterles vagabound … apressand the Kingis liegesp.t. (a) 1531 Bell. Boece II. 261.
To appele the thevis quhilkis opprest thame maist 1615 Highland P. III. 264.
Those … who crewellie opprest the pure cuntriefig. a1585 Maitl. Q. lxv. 50.
Hir bodye small wes widderit and berent As is the staik quhilk someris drouth opprest(b) a1538 Abell 70 b.
500 men at oppressit the comon lauborios pepill 1596 Dalr. I. 308/12.
Malcolme … oppresset Scotland throuch tyrannie, he than [etc.]p.p. (a) 1456 Acts II. 46/2.
That pur commonys ar gretumly iniuryt and opprest be the Kingis schirefis a1500 Colk. Sow ii. 220.
Erle Flannysle Quho wold haif thame opprest for thair pouirte c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1491.
The knicht was put to libertie The quhilk the squyer had opprest Ib. 1062. a1570-86 Maitland Maitl. F. clxxiii. 2.
Lord God quhowe lang will sic lawe lest Be quhilk sum trewe men ar opprest 1576 Orkney Oppress. 40.
Thai ar hevelie opprest be thair messuris and wechtis 1596 Dalr. I. 114/12.
Custumes with quhilkes ar opprest the subiectes of vthiris princes(b) 14.. Acts I. 338/2.
Thru the quhilk the nychtburhede is wrangwisly greffyt or pur men oppressyt 1528 Douglas Corr. 135.
And thoill me nocht be sa owrethrawin and planly oppressit as [etc.] 1535 Stewart 35687.
The laborus men … With ydill men oppressit war a1578 Pitsc. I. 19/22.
All that would have arrogantly oppressit ȝou 1584 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 109.
The baillies, counsell [etc.] … hes fund thame selffis interest and oppressit in taking of the said Johnne Park, being thair townes man c1650 Spalding I. 175.(c) 1562 Knox II. 341.
Provided that the lauboraris of the ground be nott oppressed a1585 Maitland Maitl. Q. li. 39.
The trew and poure salbe oppressed clein 1673 Laing MSS. I. 391.
How his majestie … has been abused & his subjects opressed

2. To press upon, overpower, mentally; to vex, distress, sadden (a person, his mind or heart, etc.) . a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 55.
Than sorrow can oppres His wofull hart in cair and heuines 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 628. Id. Æn. vi. viii. 91.
Me with hevy curis lang Of irksum weir and sad slumrys strang Oppressyt 15.. Dunb. lxxii. 109. Dunb. App. x. 22. 15.. Clar. iii. 1042.

b. P.p.: Weighed down, depressed, overpowered, mentally or in spirit; distressed, tormented. a1500 Lanc. 902.
The knycht … That was with wo and hewynes opprest c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxiv. 33.
Had I … In hairt tane ony havines, Or fro my plesans bene opprest Id. lxix. 48.
My spreit … Off thocht oppressit with the schouris Id. lxxxi. 29. 15.. Clar. i. 1210.
Baith day and nicht oppressit with langour a1585 Maitl. Q. xlviii. 125.
To langwis In angwis Soir woundit & opprest Ib. xlvii. 39. 1603 Philotus lviii. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. ix. 3.
In luifis rage opprest am I

c. P.p.: Distressed, afflicted (with a disease or other affliction). c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 432.
As the new mone, all pale, oppressit with change, Kythis quhilis [etc.] 1560 Rolland Seven S. 8587.
In greit hounger and als with cald opprest 1596 Dalr. I. 72/8.
Victual … quhairwith he mycht refreshe his people opprest with sair hungre Ib. II. 394/17.
Marie Quene of Ingland … sair was opprest with the hydropisie

d. P.p.: Harassed, vexed. 1531 Bell. Boece I. vi.
Quhen Priapus with stormy weid oppres Raqueistit me … To rest 1549 Compl. 86/8.
The kyng … quha vas opprest be cruel ciuil veyris 1596 Dalr. I. 247/14.
To that intent he and his peiple mycht a litle drawe thair braith … oppressid with daylie battell Ib. II. 2/17.
How sair he was opprest in the Inglis weiris, and how laich was brocht

3. a. To oppress doun, to overthrow, cast down or away. a1500 Henr. Orph. 443 (Ch. & M.).
Syn That poysons the saule wyth out & in And than is dede & eke oppressit doun To warldly lust 1533 Gau 55/14.
Quhilk sekis the maiestate of God sal be opressit dune fra His gloir

b. To put down, suppress; to overcome, subdue, conquer. 1533 Bell. Livy I. 32/10.
Aganis quham was send haistelie out of Rome ane legioun of feirs pepill and opprest thame with small difficulte Ib. 65/23.
Vtheris … abaid sa lang on the rivere side quhil thai war oppresit [B. opprest] and slane be Romanis 1570 Treas. Acc. XII. 202.
To be in reddynes … in feir of weir for assisting to oppres the Kingis grace inimeis 1581-1623 James VI Poems I. 173/562.
The dogg euill & the maddnes thay opres the mastich uill

c. To overthrow. 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 100.
To invaid, oppres and alluterlie dounthryng the congregatioun 1581 Burne Disput. 43 b.
Inducing subiectis to oppres and dounthrau thair maisters

d. P.p.: ? Overcome, mastered (by a feeling, disease or the like).But perh. merely sense 2 b. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 432.
As the new mone all pale oppressit with change Kythis quhilis [etc.] 15.. Dunb. App. iii. 14.
But sum, forswth, ar so opprest With luve wer bettir lat it be c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1225.
Opprest with sensuall lustis rage

e. To fall upon, attack. 1533 Boece i. vii. 49 b.
King Coill … , quhen servandis to keping of his corps awatit nocht, was oppressit and smorit

f. To excel. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 453.
Hir bewtie schane castand sa greit ane glance, All fairheid it opprest

4. To put down, suppress, put an end to, extinguish (a feeling, emotion, state of affairs, or the like). a1500 Bk. Chess 15.
And most of strenth this passioun till oppres 1562-3 Winȝet II. 35/32.
Quhow mony hæreseis in mony volumis oppressit he? 1558-66 Knox II. 45.
To … mainteine the libertie and fredome of the realmes … and nott to oppres and betray the same to strangearis a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx. 86.
And seis how vyce dois all vertew oppres a1570-86 Maitland Ib. lxxxviii. 31.
The moir thai preis ȝour praysis to oppres a1578 Pitsc. I. 27/24.
Bot he oppressit the anger of his hairt quhill he saw better occatione 1590-1 R. Bruce Serm. 149.
Him that has sa smored and oppressed his faith

5. To force, violate (a woman). 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 141.
Ony woman … the quhilk … proponis hir to be oppressyt throu a man a1500 Henr. Orph. 102 (A). 1513 Doug. Comment i. i. 75.
And sum says this Aiax oppressit hir in the tempill 1560 Rolland Seven S. 3947.
Be violence my Quene he wald opprest 1558-66 Knox II. 365. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 68.

6. To destroy or to violate (another's property). 1663 Peebles B. Rec. II. 58.
Many inhabitantes … wanting hors meat of their awne ar necessitat in the summer tyme to oppres their neighbours gras