A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Trest, n. Also: treist, tra(i)st, trist, tres(e, tress(e, trais. [ME and e.m.E. trest(e (14th c.), tryst (1417, north.), tress(e (1627), OF treste, traste, L. transtrum cross-beam, transom.]
1. A trestle used to support a board, so forming a table or similar structure.1374 Coldingham Priory lxxv.]
[Per manus domini Hugonis de Sirrburne, monachi Dunelmensis … In camera … j mensalis, j par de trestis formulae sufficientibus(a) 14.. Acts I 44/2.
The best burd wyth the trestis 1483 Anal. Scot. I 209.
Twa side burdis with thair trestis 1498 Dunferm. B. Rec. I 84.
An faldin burde witht trestis and furmis efferand tharto c1500 Coll. St. Salvator 159.
Ane burd and tua trestis for the mortis 1503 Treas. Acc. II 392.
Burdis, trestis, and graith for the hall 1513 Doug. vi ix 150.
The goldin trestys [Ruddim. tristis; L. fulcra] … standis ourthwort Vndir ryche tablys 1525 Wigtown B. Ct. 200b.
An ec bovrt, a fovrme & a trest 1533–4 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 136.
Ane meit burde, vith the pertinens, trest and formes 1535 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 157.
The burd trestis 1541 Dumfr. & Galloway Soc. (1913-14) 186.
Sir John Cunynghame … passed to the said lands … and there set out [a] stuill, [a] trest [and] a tub in sign of her … removal from the said lands 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. I 176.
Ane standand buird, with trestis, burdclayth 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II 200.
That thair be na standis … bot the cramis that salbe sett tobe ane burd on twa laych trestis 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 294a (see Tressour n.2).
Syd trestis(b) 1553–4 Edinb. B. Rec. II 284.
To Adam Purves for making for ane burd and treistis, and the sarkle about the uter nether tolbuyth quhar the justice sittis 1565 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 25a.
In the gryt chalmer … ane aikin burd standand on treistis(c) 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1917.
Traistis [L. trestis], formis and benkis war poleist plane 1541 Treas. Acc. VII 469.
Paleȝonis, buirdis, traistis, and uther hunting gair 1542 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 574.
Ane akyne pres … Ane other buird, without trastis 1560–1 Edinb. Old Acc. II 125.
viij plankis for the tabillis and traistis for the communione 1583 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 313.
The principall buirdis for … all the chalmuris withe formeis and traistis agreabill thairto extendane to sax corballis of aik, ane dissone of vanescott(d) 1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 23.
The buirdis, treseis, palȝeonis, and uther hunting gair 1562 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 648/2.
Ane buird of fir, with twa tressis and tway furmes of aik 1654 Edinb. Test. LXVIII 7b.
The tress of tua wannet trie tables 1657 Orkney Antiq. Soc. V 11.
Another table of fir with a wainscot tresse(e) 1638 Edinb. Test. LIX 32b.
Ane fyr buird with traissis and ane furme
b. Translating L. tripus, a three-legged stool, also the stool of the Pythia at Delphos.1513 Doug. iii vi 11.
Quhilk knawist eke the reuelationys Of god Apollois diuinationys Vndir hys trestis [L. tripodas] and burdis at Delphois 1513 Doug. v iii 13.
The rewardis … Befor thar eyn war set … The gilt trestis [L. sacri tripodes] and the greyn tre [etc.] 1513 Doug. ix v 97.
Twa charis rych, or trestis [L. tripodas] quently fold
2. A support or rest for a cannon or harquebus.1513 Treas. Acc. IV 527.
The traistis for the gwn 1515 Treas. Acc. V 15.
Four gret eschin treis to mak trestis for hacbuschis 1532–3 Acta Conc. Publ. Aff. 393.
Fifti hagbutis … furnist with gun powder, bulletis and trestis 1535 Acts II 345/2.
With trestis to be at all tymes reddy for schoting of the saidis hagbutis 1545 Treas. Acc. VIII 389.
Ane mounting traist … to mont the saiddis culvering bastardis 1566 Inv. Wardrobe 172.
Ane pasvoland of brace upone ane traist
3. A support for scaffolding or some other substantial structure, or part of a structure (? in the process of being built). b. specif. One of the trestles supporting a wooden bridge.See Nedil(l n. 5 for further examples.1530 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 52.
Spendit in gret trestis and small trestis barrois and to the scaffatyne 1535 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 124.
Sax dosane of gret birkin treis … to be schaffaldin and trestis to the chapell syloring 1556 Dundee B. Ct. III 83a (20 Nov.).
Ane burd & trest bottit & hung furthe of the said Alexanderis wall 1561–2 Edinb. Old Acc. II 155.
Ane gret traist to the first skaffald 1563–4 Edinb. Old Acc. I 448.
Ane futt gang and v traistis to meit and hinge the wyndow broidis 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Fulcimentum, a prop or traist 1633 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 340.
To ane wricht for making the tresses to the kingis chimlay heides and for serveing the meassounes thairat 1649–50 Aberd. Shore Wk. Acc. 334.
10 tries … to be foot to the trests … thrie cutts of doubill tries that was heids to thrie of the said trests 1728 Rothesay Par. Rec. 404.
Mending the tresses of the church windowsb. c1475 Wall. vii 1159.
The tothir end [sc. of the bridge] … to be … on thre rowaris off tre … Him selff wndyr … Bownd on the trest in a creddill to sit; To lous the pyne c1475 Wall. x 40.
Past our the bryg, Wallace gert wrychtis call, Hewyt trastis; wndyd the passage all 1535 Stewart 33556.
Ane brig of tre, But pend or piller, vpone trestis hie
4. attrib. With feit and hedis, in various of the above senses.1531–2 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 110.
Nalis to the traist hedis of the burdis in the litill hall quhilk wer brokin in the halydais of Pasche 1534–5 Linlithgow Palace 323.
lxxviij bottis to the trest feit of the gret hall 1560 Stirling B. Rec. I 72.
Ane langsadill, ane pair of playdis, ane pair of treist feit 1573–4 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. VII 74.
v garrons to be nedillis to the skaffettis and trest feit 1579 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 305.
To David Selcrek wrycht making twa durris, tresthedis and feit
