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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.

Ourthraw, v. Also: oure-, owr(e-, or-, o're- and -thrawe; p.t. -threw(e; p.p. -thrawin, -yn, -en, -thrauin, -en, -thrawn(e, -thraun(e, also -thraw. [sc. var. of Overthraw v. Cf. also Ourthrow.]

1. tr. To throw down (a person or thing) from the erect position; to knock or strike down; to overturn or capsize; to demolish. 1456 Hay I. 191/33.
And I saw men ourthraw my cousyng germane, beand in my presence Ib. 199/30.
Gif the abbot wald outhir ourthraw his monk and schape him to dyng or sla Ib. II. 53/12.
To derob and ourthraw bathe clerkis and kirkmen 1513 Doug. viii. iv. 132.
The erd ourthraw [: knaw] By fors of thundyr or erdquake Ib. x. xii. 115.
To the erth ourthrawyn he hes his feir a1570-86 J. Maitland Maitl. F. clxxvii. 27.
Be tyde & tempest thow may be ourthrawin [: blawin] 1573 Sempill Sat. P. xxxix. 360.
He … Ourthrew thair castellis a1585 Polwart Flyt. 733 (T).
Lyk ane cran In mowt-tyme soone ourthrawin c1615 Chron. Kings 109.
Setting fyir to the hous ourthrawis the same be the forse of the powder

2. To defeat in battle or combat, to vanquish, overcome.(a) a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1303 (Asl.).
Thow sall ȝit ourthraw thi spirituale fa a1500 Seven S. 175. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 313/9. 1513 Doug. xii. xii. 233.
Ilkane full wilfull otheris till ourthraw [: blaw] c1590 Fowler II. 105/28.
The Frenshmen of the[m]selfs can not orthraw the Suisses(b) a1500 Colk. Sow i. 422.
Thay … Fyll on the foirsaid sottis And ourthrew all the ydiottis c1515 Asl. MS. I. 318/5. 1549 Corr. M. Lorraine 296.
Plis your grace that the Inglis men is marwelis dysplessit of this last carmis that my son our threw tham 1570 Leslie 230.
Thay ourthrewe a gret number of lansqueneltz(c) ?a1500 Steel Roy Robert 162.
At Myttoun, as it is weill knawin, Thair haistellie ȝe war ourthrawin a1500 Colk. Sow i. 146 (B).
And on of thame be ourthrawin [: knawin] … All the remanent … Cumis … To reskew c1515 Asl. MS. I. 307/15.
Ȝit he was our thrawin be Cipio Affrican 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 42.
Wery and faschitt and abill to be ourthravin Ib. 44, etc. Id. Livy I. 219/4. 1533 Boece iii. xvii. 116.
Quhen the vantgarde … war ourethrawin thare feris … soneȝit nocht to fecht 1542 State P. (Reg. H.) No. 30.
Gif he … invaid ws he sall fynd ane party … quhilkis with Goddis grace sall nocht be owrthrawin 1626 Garden Worthies 50.
There armies all o'rethrawn

3. To cast down from power or prosperity; to ruin, destroy.(a) 1456 Hay I. 162/34.
Gif it be lefull thing and worschipfull in the weris that a king … ourthrawe ane othir with cautele Ib. II. 60/3.
Pray to God to graunt the … diligence aganis that vice of sleuth that thou may ourthrawe him a1500 Henr. Fab. 2718 (Bann.).
Bot for a bud the trew men he ourthrawis [v.rr. overthrawis] Id. III. 164/59.
Thair wald na deid the peple than ourthraw [: law; v.r. owr-] a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 464 (Asl.). a1500 Lanc. 1876.
And so the king that on to myster drowis His subiettis and his puple he our-thrawis c1568 Lauder Minor P. iii. 40.
The hypocreitis ar euer breding wylis And pansing [pr. passing] how thair broder to owrthraw [: law] 1586 Edinb. Test. XV. 300 b.
To sie that na bangsterris … ourthraw the pure boy James Bullerwell(b) c1475 Wall. vi. 95.
Throw thi [sc. Fortune's] fers cours … Him thow our threw out off his likand rest a1500 Lufaris Compl. 121.
Giltlese this lady me oure threwe(c) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1303 (Bann.).
Now few or nane will execute iustice In falt of quhome the pure man is ourthraw [:law, knaw; C., H. ouerthraw] Ib. 1501.
A lord … in poynt to be ourthrawin [C., H. ouerthrawin] Throw misfortoun c1475 Wall. ix. 1864.
Quhen thai him warnyt how his men was ourthrawn [: awn] Ib. vii. 941. 1528 Douglas Corr. 135.
Thoill me nocht be sa owrethrawin … as the cruelty of myn unfrendis purposis to do 1547–8 Corr. M. Lorraine 213.
We be swa cruelly owrthrawin in this maneir 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 514.
Thai [her majesty's subjects] have nevir … yit bene ourthrawin be the auttouris of ony domestik seditionis that hes nocht bene spedelie dantonit c1600 Montg. Suppl. v. 34.
Thay hukis that hundrethe hes orthraune

4. To bring down by force, conquer, subjugate (a nation, country, people). 1456 Hay I. 212/31.
The quhilk emperour throu the help … of thai Syncambrianis our-threw and undid and put doun all that nacioun of Alanis c1475 Wall. xi. 916.
Plenyst the land quhilk lang had beyn ourthrawn c1515 Asl. MS. I. 309/12.
Theseus Duke of Athenis distroyit and ourthrewe the gret cite Thebes 1531 Bell. Boece (M) I. 85.
At quhais cuming went sik confluence to him of pepill that he semyt … to ourethraw all Ireland Ib. 290.
Ourthrawin c1590 Fowler II. 134/28.
By sic occasioned conspyracies his state was orthrawen and he killed 1596 Dalr. I. 279/11.
Owrthrawne 1587-99 Hume 59/229.
The Romans stout quhilk had the earth ourthrawin [: drawin]

5. To overturn or subvert (an established order or condition). 1456 Hay I. 29/7.
The Cristin faith that is blekkit and our-thrawin with … fals governaunce c1590 Fowler I. 315/84.
And constancye in all the scorns Quhilk hes my hope ourthrauen

b. refl. ? To cast down one's own ends, to alter one's purposes, perform a volte-face. c1590 Fowler II. 151/5.
Quho otherwyse proceideth in his turnes ather dois he by the subornings of flatterers hastelye orthraw him self or etc.]

6. intr. Of the stomach: To be upset, to ‘turn over’. (Cf. Ourcast v. 3.) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 6513.
The quhilk quhan he had hard and vnderstude His hart ourethrew and mengillit flesche and blude And saw thare wald nane wther be remede Bot [etc.]