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

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Practis(e, Practize, v. Also: practyse, -ish, -ese, -eis, praktese, precteis; practeze; prattyse, pratize. P.t. and p.p. practicit, -isit, -iset, -ised, etc. [Late ME and e.m.E. practis(e (14–15th c.), -yse (Lydgate), -ize (1460), OF pra(c)tiser (14th c. in Godef.), med. L. practisare, practizare (14th c.), f. as Practik v. with change of suffix.]

1. To perform, carry out (an action, esp. one disapproved of). = Practik v. 2. 1568 Cal. Sc. P. II 559.
Voluntarlie, na compulsioun, violence, or force … usit or practized to move hir thairto 1570 Leslie 21.
Quhilk forfaltour … the said Sir Williame … causet mak and was the first inventar thairof and sua wes first practiset aganis himself Ib. 179.
Fearing thair by abolishing of the Catholique religeoun … and uther alteratione as had bene alredy practished in Ingland 1597 Crim. Trials II 28.
Quhilk cure scho practizit vpoun Marioune Wallace 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (S.T.S.) 54/11.
Bairnes … are not that capable of reason as to practise such thinges 1598 Crim. Trials II 75.
Be the instructioune of Hew Bruntoun Inglisman, quha vsit and praktesit the samin in the saidis houssis c1600 Montg. Suppl. xxxv 79.
Mak me to precteis & furth tell Thy preceptis, prayeris & holy lawis 1601 Elphinstone Mun. 31.
The Quene of Englande by her lief and raigne and artifices practezed by her 1601 Trial of David Roy 7.
Prattyset 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2740 (Ch.) (see Practik v. 3). 1623 Crim. Trials III 557. 1662 Soc. Ant. XXII 219.
To use or practise any manner of witchcraft [etc.]

b. To perform (a drama). 1558-66 Knox I 62.
Frear Kyllour sett furth the Historye of Christis Passioun in forme of a play, quhilk he boith preached and practised opinlie in Striveling 1600 Mill Mediæv. Plays 236.
The minister and elderis inhibits the maister of the grammar schole fra this furth to practeis any comedie ather [etc.]

2. To perform as an established usage or habitually. = Practik v. 1. 1563 G. Hay Confutation Abbot Crosraguel 69.
That is the conuention of them that practeis the Lordes table c1550-c1580 Art of Music 11 b.
Thay ar … taiknit with numer binar and with absens of pownctis in this wayis C2 as heir eftir is practicit 1596 Aberd. Council Lett. I 65.
Secundlie it is dalie practized and decydit in all judiciall seattis [etc.] 1597 James VI Dæmonol. (S.T.S.) 29/1.
The Deuill … can put his owne spirite in a dead bodie, which the necromancers commonlie practise 1600 Hamilton Facile Tr. 8.
How … al things … hes beine determinat, inregistrat, and practisit in his kingdome 1626 Justiciary Cases I 49.
In re tam nova and nevir practizet of befoir Ib. 53.
Quhair that vyce is practizet 1649 Canongate Hammermen in Bk. Old Edinb. C. XX 94.
Practesed

3. To exercise (a profession or vocation); to follow (a manner of living); to display (virtues); also, to conduct (one's life or behaviour, in a certain manner). c1520-c1535 Nisbet I 5.
Gif thow … practis thin office as saint Peter exhortis thé … than may thow be sure to be blis[si]t 1562-3 Winȝet I 9/28.
Mony amangis ȝow … quha … practissis the law of God, leuing sobirlie, godlie, and iustlie 1563-72 Ferg. Tracts 16.
Their new forged religion in the … dongeon of Sathan's workehous, and practised be … his members and luftennents hear in earth a1578 Pitsc. I 159/24.
Weill leirned in devyne syences and pratizit the samin to the glorie of God Ib. II 283/33.
Thay … practisit thair lyves and conversatioun in this maner c1590 Fowler I 15.
To practise and exercise thair vertewis

4. To persuade to some wrongful action; to suborn. = Practik v. 5. 1568 Anderson Collect. Mary IV ii 82.
Wnto sic tyme thai had practised the keipar off the castell [etc.] … to be thair assistaris 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 27.
Bot Sir James euir having ee to his awin scope hinderit this purpose be sum of the kingis familiar seruandis that he had practisit be giftis 1640 Hamilton P. App. 257.
The Earle of Traquayre … did practize the jury with a good intent to finde the said lord guilty 1680 Lauder Notices Affairs I 252.
For practising his mother-in-law … procuring from hir exorbitant gifts and rings

5. To engineer or contrive, by underhand methods or intrigue and chiefly for evil ends; to plot. 1549 Lamb Resonyng 133/3.
How ȝe Scottis practizate to steill out of our thesaurie diuers of choiss instrumentis 1568 Buch. Indict. 33.
Omitting na thing that possibillie culd be practiset to caus thame enter in bluid Id. Wr. 46.
The said chamæleon … be ane prevy intelligence with the quene and verie few of the nobilitie, practiz[it] the mariage of the quene and Henry Lord Dernlie 1570 Leslie 52.
The Duik of Buckingham [etc.] … quha practised to bring hame Henry Erle of Richemond 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 41.
Thus se ȝe how mony and how greit thingis scho practisit to dispatche with ane laubour 1583 Reg. Privy C. III 599.
Particular attemptatis, practized to have bene committit aganis his majesteis persoun c1610 Melville Mem. 339.
They practyse to kepe him from mariage

6. intr. To conspire, intrigue, with another. 1582 Crim. Trials I ii 103.
And tressonablie practizit with him … at diuerse tymes, in preiudice of our souerane loird 1583 Bk. Univ. Kirk II 633.
The ȝong Laird of Fentrie direct vnto this countrey … to practise with his grace and his faithfull subiects for overthrow of religion, be moyen of freinds cruppin in court

7. To try out in practise, make trial of. 1632 Lithgow Trav. vi 278.
I have seene the nature of this dust practised, wherefore I may boldly affirme it to have the force of a strange vertue