Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

Plant, n. Also: plaunt, plaint. [ME. plante, plonte (14th c.), e.m.E. plant, OE. plante, L. planta a sprout.] A plant.A young plant of herb or tree; a bedding plant, seedling or sapling. b. In fig. contexts.(a) 14.. Acts I. 387/2.
Thi bonde haf fylit thi land with guld, for ilk plant of it he sall gif to thé a mutone 1456 Hay II. 157/7.
All proprieteis that appertenis … till a plant of tree or herbe, as treis, vignes or sik smale thingis a1500 Seven S. 357.
This tre is ȝow schir empriour … Ȝone devile thi sone the plant is c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii. 48.
This garth, most dulce and redolent Off herb and flour, and tendir plantis sueit 1513 Doug. xii. Prol. 79.
So thik the plantis sprang in euery peyce a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxxix. 22.
And he that with fair wordis is fed Dois hoipe for fructe of witherit plantis 1578 Inverness Rec. I. 261.
Four beddis young plantis, four beddis ingyeonis 1591-2 Rob Stene 20.
Blissit bewis Of olive plantis — 1610 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I. 205.
The kaill planteis 1652 Elgin Rec. II. 281.
Thomas Mitchall caled for setting plants on the Lords day 1663 Boyd Fam. P. No. 259 (13 Feb.).
To pay tua beds of plantis yeirlie(b) 1596 Glasgow Chart. II. App. 568.
[She] hes … sawin hemp and utheris seidis thairon sett plaintis 1587-99 Hume vi. 74.
Without the subtile air … Na plaint nor liuing thing may lestb. c1550-c1580 Art of Music 46.
That musicianis amang the pleasand plantis of concordance may find and gadder dywers pwinctis rethoricall c1590 Fowler I. 113/31.
Solon … of goode lawis establisht first the plant That now soe will manwred is, and dois hir fruit now want 1641 Wodrow Hist. (1828) I. 254.
A plant [sc. prelacy] … which never took … with this kirk and kingdom as its kindly soil

c. fig., with reference to the freshness or the perfect reproduction of a young plant; a shoot, a scion; a perfect specimen, a paragon. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1051 (Asl.).
O blissit lady … thou plant of paradys a1568 Steel Bann. MS. 235 a/10. c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxvii. 2. Ib. 30.
Gladethe thoue Queyne of Scottis regioun, Ȝing tendir plaunt of plesand pulcritude Id. lxxxix. 5. 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 51.
One plant of poetis, callit Ballentyne 1540 Id. Sat. 4256 (B).
Tak … ane tirrand or ane trature, Off every vyce the plant

d. Attrib. In Orkney: Plant coat (Cote n.²), an enclosed kitchen garden or nursery (also in the mod. dial.), = Plantiquoy n. 1564 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) ? 24 Jan.
That the plant merkett be haldin on the place callit the auld flesche merkett 1686 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXII. 188.
Two head rigs above Ja. Ewensones plant coat