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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.

Vent, v.² Also: went, vente. P.t. also vendit. [ME and e.m.E. vent (1398), F. eventer.]

1. tr. a. To open (wine) in preparation for use. Cf. Vent v.¹ b.Quot. 1670 may belong in Vent v.¹ b, with which there is some confusion. 1566 Treas. Acc. XI 515.
Becaus The said wine lay sa lang be the said space of thre monethis, ventit and foisted for lak of keiping, and offerit to be sauld to nychtbouris of Edinburght and Leith, quha offerit na mair for the tun but xxiiij li. 1624 Edinb. Test. LII 331.
Ane tun of wyne alreddie in hir handes wentit 1670 Cramond Ch. Fordyce 48.
It was regrated that several brewars stay at hom upon the Sabbath dayes & went drink in tym of sermones

b. To let (blood). 1671 Duncan Glasg. Physic. & Surg. 52.
[The barber-surgeon was licensed] to draw blood [or] to vent blood with ane horne

2. intr. Of a chimney: To allow smoke to pass out. 1585 Perth B. Ct. 15 June.
To haif mendit his chymlay in the saidis housis becaus the samin ves faulty and culd nocht vent 1684 Thanes of Cawdor 367.
Every rowme … to have … ane chimney weill venting, and ane convenient place for ane closse stool

3. tr., fig. a. To express in some way, give vent to (an emotion, feeling, etc.). b. To utter, give vent to, spread (an opinion, rumour, threat, etc.); to express (something, chiefly, negative or insulting) in words. Also with clause object. c. reflex. To express oneself, give vent to (one's opinions). d. ? To carry out (an action).a. c1590 Fowler I 181/1.
I walk within this wood to vent my woes Remembring all my greiffs and endles grones c1590 Fowler I 176/2.
Sad and displesed my sorroues I lament, And venteth furthe the accents of my bayle 1629 Justiciary Cases I 101.
As to the minassing speiches lybellit thay ar bot ordinarlie blastis of anger quhilk people uses to vent quhan thay ar dispossessit of thair possessionesb. pres. a1658 Durham Commandments (1676) 265.
Thus one inventeth a lye, another venteth and outeth it, and a third resetteth it, like coyners, spreaders and resetters of false money 1658 Rothesay Par. Rec. 7.
[He] confessed he spok the said scandalous wordis and that he did vent the samen be the devillis instigatioune 1667 Argyll-Lauderdale Lett. 92.
This is but a fancie I vent to your lordship if it doe no good, it shall doe no hurt 1681 Colvil Whig's Suppl. (1681) i 94.
Now he kytheth like a fool … To vent in print so little reason, And call it an advice in season 1697 Penninghame Par. Rec. I 14.
John McGill … deserts the ordinances and is venting erroneous principlesp.t. 1643 Saltoun Kirk S. in Reliq. Antiq. Sc. 156.
Agnes Patersone … distracted in hir witts, who vented hir dreams and phantasies, saying abroad that she saw many folks in the night tyme 1650 Dunlop P. II 94.
The said Margaret vented and uttered sundrie threatinings 1657 Rothesay B. Rec. 269.
He called Allexander a knave to his face but he vented the speiche efter Allexander went away 1659 A. Hay Diary 111.
Becaus I had been so long from home the people of Bigger vented it that I had fled becaus of the kings coming home with ane army 1660 Stirling B. Rec. I 232.
He hes this day intruded himself again in counsell and vented seditious and mutunous wordis(b) 1651 Johnston Diary II 137.
This poor young man of whom Mr. Thomas Chartres told me Mr. James Durham vendit … that he was simple and creuelp.p. 1631 Justiciary Cases I 190.
Sclanderous speaches untrewlie plottit devysit and ventit be ȝow againes the said Marques of Hammiltoun 1646 Rec. Univ. Aberd. 426.
All the publict oratiounes, both weeklie of all the studentis, and of thes speciallie that ar to be laureated ther laureatioune oratiounes, be visited first by ther masters respectiue, that the same be not vented in publict without approbatioune 1649 Cupar Presb. 140.
To cause summond Thomas Kynneir and the rest of the paroche, anent the sclander of witchcraft wented … by Andrew Patrik against Helen Swyn 1650 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 595.
Manney basse and eiuell rumors wer wented abroad of the Lord Chanceler 1650 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 613.
Sectareis … haid tollerat many … blasphemeis and strange opiniounes in religioun and haid mantened, allowed, and ventit, the same in England 1671 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. III 378.
They robbed … all the poore man his horse, oxen … and all because he would not willinglie condescend to give what they desyred; and the poor man, having vented that he would come to Edinburgh and complaine … they [etc.]c. 1640 Baillie I 252.
Some … were loath … that yet it [sc. the paper] should goe in a publick act, or being carryed with a clean contrare spaite, were willfull to have Mr. Harie to vent himself in publickd. 1650 Strathbogie Presb. 126.
Being asked if Alexander Achynachie vas at the battell … vith ane halbert … and if, after his returne, he had vented the killing of Lairs therwith, deponed, that [etc.]

4. To disseminate, circulate (a book, etc.) not intended for or thought to be suitable for public consumption. Cf. Ventar n.² b. 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 13/27.
Since contrarie to my intention … this booke is nowe vented, and set forth to the publicke viewe of the worlde, … I am nowe forced … to publishe and spred the true copies thereof 1659 A. Hay Diary 67.
Andrew Steinsone told me also that ther wer 2 bales of Papist books directed to him as if they had been paper, and that many such had been vented within thes few yers 1664 Rec. of Old Tolbooth in Bk. Old Edinb. C. V 121.
That he shall never hereafter sell or vent any … seditious befactious peapers

5. a. intr. Of wine: To emit vapour when first opened, to breathe. Only in comparisons with thoughts, etc. b. tr. To emit (vapour), release (a scent).a. 1609 Melvill 784.
All thais are but wishes and wordis venting lyk new wyne, from the inward wirking of a passionat heart 1638 Johnston Diary I 398.
I fand the Lord overflouing my mynd with a floode of thoughts and maiking my breast burst lyk a bottle ful of neu wyne that most ventb. 1611-57 Mure Doomesday 179.
Smell, earst with rare perfumes acquent, … For incense, sulphure (there) doth vent Smoake for thy odoures sweet

6. intr. Of smoke, etc.: To escape, find a way out. 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 115.
For tua tirlies to tua chimnayes … to caus the reik went xl s. 1645 Rutherford Tryal Faith (1845) 69.
Smoke venteth at the window, when the chimney refuseth passage

7. tr. To put (coins, esp. counterfeit coins) into circulation. 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 20.
That nane of thame presoome … to bring within this kingdome nor to vent and putt amongs his Majesteis subjects anie of the saids Embden dollours nor [etc.] 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I 354.
Ane grit number of all kynd of dollors … whiche being imported by the cunning … of privat men are vented at ane heicher rate … then your Maiesties awin coynes … to the insupportabill loss of your faithfull subiectis and unmeasurabill gayne of strangeris 1632 Aberd. Council Lett. I 356.
And yit not so muche … to incourage to import and vente counterfeit in the kingdome the difference … will be a meannis to kepe the small coyne within the kingdome 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 59.
And that these [counterfeit] turners be suffered to be vented may bring great prejudice to the kingdom 1665 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. II 11.
[He] wes deceived be a smith who gave him some layed shillinges … which the petitioner never did … vent as good money

8. passive. To be provided with an aperture. Only fig. 1650 Fugitive Poetry II xxvi 4/28.
Att first was left unbung'd his braine … when his nurse put to a cloute, Shee spi'de his reason leaking out, That ever since they rest contented, Because they knew his braine was vented