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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.

Oyster, Oister, Oster, n. Also: -ar, -ir, -re. [ME. and e.m.E. oyster(e, -r(e (1341), -ur, -yr (15th c.), ostre (a 1377), ostyr (1483), OF. oistre, uistre, huistre, mod. F. huître, L. ostrea. Cf. Hoster n.](a) c1420 Bute MS. 170 b.
Of ilk m haddokk qwhytyng or codlyng or oystris 1454 Ayr B. Ct. 129 (29 April).
And that na fre folk by na gudis with out the merkat as befe & oister 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 344.
Oysteris 1512 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 82. 1549 Compl. 57/16.
Oistirs and mussillis, & al vthir schel fysche a1568 Bann. MS. 266 a/8.
Quhen that in Iune in sessone is the oister [: cloister] 1587 Orkney & Shetl. Rec. 212.
In scat … fyve hundreth oysteres, sax poultrie, halk dog c1590 Fowler II. 193/28. 1595 Orkney Rentals ii. 32.
Oysters, oisters 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 22 Feb.
Tua c oistaris a1598 Ferg. Prov. 1562.
Ye ar sib to Cramond oysters & puiter vessel ye ar ay clattering 1661 Acts VII. 253/1.
Oistersilk tuentie thousand 1662 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I. 159. 1684 Edinb. B. Rec. XI. 128.
[All fish for sale to go to the market,] excepting oysters and lapsters and other shell fishes which is comonly cryed through the streit 1687 Lauder Notices Affairs II. 829.
In regard of the scarcity … of oysters, and their scalps 1688 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXVII. 149.
Oisters 1698 Marchmont 184.
[Bill of Fare]: Oysters demoy(b) 1511 Treas. Acc. IV. 313.
Osteris 1529 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 9. 1531 Bell. Boece I. xxviii.
Ostreis Ib. xxxvii. 1540 Misc. Hist. Soc. X. 41. a1605 Montg. Flyt. 464 (H).
Ilke elffe of them all brought ane almous hous oster [: foster, T. and almond oisteris] 1596 Edinb. B. Rec. V. 168.
Pittie customes … osteris [etc.] 1596 Dalr. I. 13/28.
Lochriane [and] … the vther loch … baith abunde in … ostiris [etc.] 1686 Thanes of Cawdor 375. 1691 Hawick Arch. Soc. 13/2.
For osters and winiker brandi and spis [£] 0. 6. 0.

b. Attrib. and comb.Oister-den, appar. the place in a ship in which (?live) oysters were stored. Oyster-scap, an oyster-bank or -bed. Also oster-dreg(g)ar, see Dreg(g)ar n., and Oyster-s(c)hell. a1500 Henr. III. 152/71.
Recipe … Ane vnce of ane oster poik at the nether parte 1613 Crim. Trials III. 244.
The buirding of ane catche or oister-bott and thiftious away-taking of the samyn 1685 Erskine Diary 159.
The skipper's wife and others being aboard we went [sc. for concealment] into the oister den 1695 Acts IX. 520/2.
The Viscount of Tarbat his charter for two oyster scaps