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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Slot(t, Slote, n.¹ Also: sloit, sloat(t, slut(t. [ME and e.m.E. slot(t (a1300), slo(o)t (Prompt. Parv.), slote (1485), MDu., MLG slot a bolt, lock.]

1. A bar or bolt, chiefly of iron, for fastening a door, etc. Also attrib. with Hole n. 1, Lok n.¹(a) 1513 Doug. vii x 22.
Portis … of batale … brasyn hespis thame claspit … And strenthy irne slottis 1515 Treas. Acc. V 13.
Expensis … on lokkis, irne slottis, bandis of irne … for reparing and dichting of the palice 1517 Treas. Acc. V 130.
For ij gret lokkis and keyis with slottis and stapillis 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 97.
For ane grete slot and keparis to the samen to the said avery hous dure 1537–8 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 218.
For twa pair gret round portell bandis with twa irne slottis rynnand upone platis with iiii ringis and rosis ilk pair with the slottis and utheris furnessingis 1537–8 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 226.
Ane plat lok to the chancellary dure with ane grete rynnand slot and iiii stapillis 1547–8 Stirling B. Rec. I 52.
The said duelling hous weill reparit … with portall slottis and closouris 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II 305.
For … twa slotts with stappillis to the caissit windo of the said hous 1571 Lanark B. Rec. 64.
The duris … with bandis, lokis, cruikis, keis, slottes and utheris nedfull 1598 Aberd. B. Rec. II 163.
To allow to Andro Hay officiar nyn pundis bestowit be him vpon the macking of slottis and bandis to the meill mercat 1621 Barcaldine Inv.
Ane tymer fir dour … bund with bandis and ane tymer slott 1633 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 89.
I have gotten now … the gate to open the slote, and shut the bar of His door 1634 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 116.
He has means … to open all the slots and bars that Satan draws over the door 1645 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 47.
Ane window with a litle slot yron(b) 1513 Treas. Acc. IV 523.
To ane grete lok of the foryett, ij greit glaspis and mending of the sloit 1513 Doug. vii iii 78 (Sm.).
Of rych citeis ȝettis, stapillis and restis, Gret lokis, slotis, massy bandis squayr 1515 Treas. Acc. V 11.
For ane grete slote to monsure Sanct Romanis chalmour 1529 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 18.
Twa gret bottis for the closing of the sloit of the said irne yeit and the greit bar of the samyn 1552 Edinb. Hammermen 192.
For the makin of ane sloit out throw ane kist that standis vpon ane of our throwchis xij d. 1554–5 Edinb. Old Acc. II 37.
To the dur at the nether end of the queir, ane loke … and als vj cleiks and ane sloit under the dur 1569 Prot. Bk. Gilbert Grote 74.
[That no member of the locksmith craft … should make … ] sloittis, stapillis [etc.] … of … blak wark or ony vther wark pertening to the blaksmythis c1570 Lennox Mun. 277.
The chalmeris withtin the place. … the dur that gais vp at the trap heid fra the hall dur, sloit … the ȝard ȝet lok, ke and sloit [etc.] c1570 Lennox Mun. 277.
The myd dur … , ane throwcht lok, witht ane yrne sloit 1580–1 Reg. Privy C. III 364.
The great irne yett of the dungeoun … with the hingand lok and slotis of the same 1585 Glasgow Prot. IX 152.
[They] enterit with handis and feit at my yet, straik thairat to have broken the sloat wp [etc.] 1650 Peebles B. Rec. I 389.
In the nether stan yett ane plait lock with ane kie and a great sloatt(c) 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. II 97.
Leid to ȝet the boltis of the pulpet, new sluttis, loft crowkis of the newe durrisattrib. 1565–6 Edinb. Old Acc. II 225.
Item for ane yrne slot and tua stappils of the yle dur, ij s. Item to ane maisson to mak ane slott hoill, vj d. — 1559 Rentale Dunkeld. (SHS) 354.
Tua slottlokis to the bell ture 1595 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 585.
Ane slote lok

2. A bar or rod, chiefly of iron, used as a support for or means of securing a cannon, etc. 1497 Treas. Acc. I 334.
iij serpentinis gunnis … with ilkane tua chameris, thair mykkis and thair slottis 1497 Treas. Acc. I 334. 1538 Treas. Acc. VI 413.
Ilk bers havand iij chalmeris with vij^xx and x slotis 1539–40 Treas. Acc. VII 348.
For paynting … the … artalȝery … witht reid leid price of the pece … witht thair chalmeris slottis and bandis v s. 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 351.
Spanȝe irne … to mak slottis, bandis [etc.] … to the munitioun 1540 Treas. Acc. VII 352.
Spanȝe irne … to be slottis bandis ringis … for the artalȝery 1542 Aberd. B. Rec. I 185.
To be maisteris of the artillierie, and to provyd boolis, slottis, and all vder munitionis requirit thairto

b. In other uses: To secure, retain in position or support parts of a construction; also, in contexts where the nature of the use is not clear. Also attrib. with Bolt n.¹ 2.Some examples may belong in 1 above. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 458.
To James Graham smyth for stapillis, slottis and boltis for the greit schip 1512–13 Treas. Acc. IV 473.
For vj dusan of slottis and bandis for the pavesis of the James 1517 Treas. Acc. V 119.
Irne wark maid in bandis, crukkis, staplis, lang slottis, ryngis for the castell werk 1532 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 107.
Ane grete slot to beir the wyndo and tua schort slottis to clois it 1538–9 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 261.
Aikin tymmer … For twa pece jestis for slottis to the binding of the flottis 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 61a.
The count of the irne warke … For zonfrous and chenes and boutis … slotis and ryns helis and wther smau irne warkeattrib. 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII 115b.
xvj slot boittis of irne tua irne sawis [etc.]

3. attrib. With staf: A piece of timber, as in 1 or 2 above, for use as a weapon. 1561 Prestwick B. Rec. 66.
At ylk freman … haf … ane slot staf, or ane pow ax, suerd and buklar