Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

Pray, n. Also: praye, praie, praii; pra; prey. [ME and e.m.E. praie (a 1240), preiȝe (c 1250), prai (13–14th c.), pray (14th c.), OF preie (1155 in Greimas; mod. F. proie): cf. also Proie.] Prey.Additional instances in rhyme include Barb. ix 534 (thai pron.), Alex. i 197 (say v.), Dunb. G. Targe 54 (lay, spray, day), Doug v Prol. 3 (gay, play), and G. Ball. 31 (ay).

1. Cattle or provisions taken by force, ? esp. in war. Also with defin. article or the possess.Freq. to drive, also to sese, tak, etc. the or one's pray; see also Drive v. 1 c for examples.1375 Barb. xiv 130 (C).
Sesit in sic fusioune thar pray [: thai] 1375 Ib. xv 457.
Quhill his men scalit be Throu the cuntre, to tak the pray [: day] c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3507. a1500 Henr. Fab. 2259 (Bass.).
The wolff said, Quhether dryvis thou this pray? a1500 Golagros and Gawane 539.
[To] prik in your presence, to purchese his pray [: assay] 1533 Boece 172 b.
How Romanis … had invadit the landis and driving the pray happynnyt amang Scottis & Pichtis 1596 Dalr. I 10/26.
The bordirmen … quha nathir … can be stainchet from takeng the pray

b. Booty, plunder, more generally.To take the pray of, ? to plunder.?1438 Alex. ii 7831.
I wald heir Ȝon kingis cumming that leifis on pray [: deray] c1490 Porteous Noblenes 177/10 (Asl.).
Thair sall neuer man do wele his det That in armes first seikis proffit pray or gudis 1535 Stewart 22804.
Pra [: fa] 1562 Knox VI 204.
We read that they toke the pray of Sodom and Gomorra

c. Also applied to prisoners of war as similarly captured and carried off.1375 Barb. ii 445 (C).
Bot with prisoneris … to the toune thai held thar way, Rycht glaid and ioyfull off thar pray 1533 Bell. Livy I 245/10.
He returnit with grete honoure and pray of men & gudis to Rome

d. = Pris(e n.³ 1 c.a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 19.
They chancit to espy a fair ship of Turkie … whilk ship he seasit upoun and maid a pray therof

2. A quantity of goods or number of animals taken in foraging or as booty or plunder. Also plur.Const. as prec. sense, and see also Drive v. 1 c. Also const. of the kind of goods taken.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xl 1099.
The forrouris … prayt nere the cunctre hale … , & thar departyt thar pray [: away] ?1438 Alex. ii 61.
Quhan thay of Grece with mude and mane Sesit in Gaderis the nobill pray [: decay] ?1438 Ib. 4073.
The pray out past; The fourriouris it embraissit fast ?1438 Ib. i 174, etc. c1420 Wynt. iv 1053.
This tresoure all the Grekis gat … , Swa throuch the partyng off that pray [: day] [etc.] c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3345.
[They] semblit comownis … and followit in the pray c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace ix 473. 1513 Doug. ix vii 178.
The schamful victouris … The pray and spreth, and other geir that ganys, Ioysyng but obstakil 1513 Ib. xi ii 53.
And bad thai suld tak gud kepe and attend To leid the pray per ordour pompusly 1533 Boece 309.
To Scottis in thare cavill of the pray assignit war chareotis 1535 Stewart 19574. a1538 Abell 26 b.
The confiderit kingis … gat ane gret pray fra the Romanis & Britonaris 1579 Despauter (1579).
Manubiae, ane pray or buting 1596 Dalr. I 102/5.
The policie of dryueng a pray thay think be sa leiuesum and lawful to thame that [etc.] 1596 Ib. II 7/28.
Of the victorie wonn be the Scotis, thay war ladne with a fatt pray, a rych buteng 1596 Ib. I 267/11.
Praii(2) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3330.
Than in the mornyng … Off fatt cattall thai sesit ane michty pray [: day] 1531 Bell. Boece II 93.
The Scottis … brocht ane huge pray of guddis out of Angus, and slew all thaim that maid obstakill 1533 Id. Livy I 288/12, 14.
Grete pray of riches war gottin in this battell … .The selling of this pray brocht the consulis in grete haterent of thare army 1596 Dalr. II 345/18. a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 159.
And broght away a great pray of horsis, nolt, [etc.] … and careit all saiflie to Argyle's cuntrie(3) plur. c1420 Wynt. iii 257.
The Phylisteis … assemblyt … in the land off Juda … And tuk gret prayis [E. prais] to thare mete c1420 Ib. viii 2419. a1578 Pitsc. I 53/19.
[He] cairriet away great prayis of horse and scheip and nolt out of all thir tounis 1596 Dalr. I 97 marg.
In takeng prayis [L. depredationibus] thay exerce thame selfes a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 101.
The lords of Edinburgh … ishit out at divers tymes, and gat divers prayis of cornes and cattall

b. fig.: see Pris(e n.³ 2 fig.

3. The act of foraging or plundering; pillaging, pillage, spoliation. (To expose something) in pray (= as booty) to another. To make pray of, to make seizure of, to seize as plunder. Cf. Pris(e n.³ 1 c.(1) ?1438 Alex. ii 5058.
At that pray was knichtis kene Takin and reskewit 1533 Boece 71.
Sum parte be pray of bestiall reft fra the lawich cuntre adiacent(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 755.
All thar ryches preciouse … They exponyt in reffe and praye [: away] a1538 Abell 31 a.
Pray apone pray and mwrthour apone murthour 1580 Reg. Privy C. III 308.
Exponand … the saidis compliners guidis … in prey to the enemy(3) 1584 Gowrie P. 78.
Besides that praye they have maide of the forfeyted landes and livinges of Gowryes and others a1597-1617 Hist. Jas. VI (1825) 95.
Wharefore … he thoght that he might laughfullie mak pray of thair gudis, as he did indeid 1600-1610 Melvill 275.
Greidie and neidie … wating to mak his prey of the soumes of contravention

4. What is or may be taken as food by a carnivorous animal; chiefly spec., an animal's prey or quarry.Also to tak the pray: cf. senses 1, 1 b and 2.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints xxxiii 90.
That thai suld tak ilke day A schepe & gyf til his pray & a quyk body als with-al a1500 Henr. Fab. 1405 (Bann.).
A lyone at his pray wery for ron … Vndir a tre lay a1500 Ib. 1511 (Bann.).
The lyone ȝeid to hunt, For he had nocht, bot levit on his pray [: deray, way] 1494 Loutfut MS. 18 b.
And sekis nocht his pra bot in watter c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlviii 126.
Lat no fowll of ravyne do efferay, Nor devoir birdis bot his awin pray 1513 Doug. iv vii 84.
The blak swarm [sc. of ants] … Tursand throu the gers thar pray to hydlys darn 1513 Ib. ix viii 66.
Nakyt and bair thy fair body on sand To fowlys of reif and savage doggis wild Sall ly as pray 1513 Ib. ii vi 111, xii v 86. 1549 Complaynte of Scotland 2/19.
The rauand sauuage volffis … that deuoris nolt ande scheip for ther pray 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 1726.
This grewhound was sa swift … Quhen he was lousit, his pray he gart ay bleid 1560 Ib. 8964. 1562 Knox VI 172.
Yea … that god is a pray … to rattes and mise 1562-3 Winȝet I 14/7.
Lyke ane lyone roryng and takand the pray 1582 Reg. Privy C. III 506.
[They] exposit and laid out his carcage to be a prey for doiggis c1590 Fowler I 119/46.(2) 1494 Loutfut MS. 25 b.
Perdris … is oft tymes tan with foullis of pra

5. An animal or number of animals hunted and killed by human beings; also, the act of hunting.To make pray of, to hunt.a1500 Henr. Fab. 1813 (Bann.).
The awnare off ȝone lint ane fowlare is … His pray full seindill tymes will he mis 1513 Doug. i iv 89.
Hys feris has this praye ressauyt raith, And to thar met addressis, it to graith 1513 Ib. ix vii 83.
Gif that I of my huntyng and pray Ekyt thy honour ony maner way a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 146/15.
Pestilent preacheouris … circumuenand the symple people, caand theme ane praye lyke devillis rachys 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 290.
Two prodigious whales came up this firth with a high spring tide … and … Redcastle … permitted the whole countrys on both sids to make pray of them

6. A person, body of persons, nation, etc., sought or taken as the intended victim or quarry of another person or of a hostile agency. In lit. and fig. applications.Freq. to be ane facill pray to another. (To expose a person) in pray (= as a victim) to another or others: cf. sense 3.The 1608 quot. is perh. intended as an instance of 1 b.(1) a1400 Legends of the Saints v 192.
Quhen ded of thame wil ma his pray [: away] a1400 Ib. xxxii 540. c1420 Ratis Raving 1097.
And wantone wyll sal tyne the pray [: away] a1499 Contemplacioun of Synnaris 812 (Asl.).
Vnder thaim hell to hynt thaim as a pray [: assay, fray, display] c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 180.
[They] schot, quhill wastit was thair artilye, Syne went abak reboytit of thair pray [: array, display, thay] c1500-c1512 Ib. lvii (O.U.P.) 5.
A pray to Deid quhome vane is to repell c1500-c1512 Ib. lxii (O.U.P.) 95. 1533 Bell. Livy II 9/29.
Thus stude Virginea hir allane, reddy to be ane pray to all iniure 1535 Stewart 56427.
This messinger so frustrat of his pray [: sway (= so)] Ȝeid hame agane c1550 Rolland Court of Venus ii 208.
In euerie camp the proudest man armait His pray was ay 1560 Id. Seven Sages 5507.
For thay wald mak it [Rome] thair first pray, for gredynes 1562-3 Winȝet I 128/3.
Sen the speciall pray that mony of thame huntis for is ane huir 1567 Gude and Godlie Ballatis 112. a1568 Bannatyne MS I p. 16/21.
The feind he watis his pray to win 1570 Leslie 67.
The king … thoucht her a pray metar for ane emperour nor soldiouris 1572 Satirical Poems xxxi 158.
Bot till aggre and ȝe delay, Than Scotland will be bot ane pray 1573 Davidson Satirical Poems xl 162.
Quhen quene and court … wer disappointit of thair pray, Thay fryit in furie that he schaipit quick c1590 Fowler I 132/178. 1596 Dalr. I 283/6.
Constantin had na will lychtlie to lat gang sa noble a pray 1608 Inverness Rec. II 58.
Haiffand na … craft nor guidis nor geir to leif on, bot vaitinge quhair thow may get thai praie be slicht(b) c1500 Makculloch MS v 31.
Pra(c) a1568 Montg. Bannatyne MS I p. 49/6.
My silly sawle … That Sathan seikis to cache it as a prey [: L. miserere mei, estray](2) 1531 Bell. Boece I 19.
Suppone we be vincust, … than sall ye be ane facill pray to your ennimes 1560 Cal. Sc. P. I 517.
[And then] wer we a facill pray [without ally] a1578 Pitsc. I 22/20. 1583 Sempill Warning iv.(3) 1582 Reg. Privy C. III 502.
[All who do not appear to accept the amnesty] salbe declarit fugitives and rebellis and salbe exponit in prey to all sic as may apprehend thame

b. plur. Said of a pirate's victims: cf. Pris(e n.³ 1 b.1610 Criminal Trials III 104.
Haueing trymit ȝour said schip, and taiking saill and cours to the seis for catching of ȝour prayes [etc.]