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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.

Pres(s, n. Also: presse, priess, preis, prese. [ME and e.m.E. presse (Ancr. R.), presce (c 1400), press (c 1500), Pres n., also instrument for pressing, cupboard, printing press, F. presse (11th c. in Littré), vbl. n. f. stem of presser, L. pressāre, frequent. verb f. press-, p.p. stem of premere to press.]

1. a. A chest. b. A (? shelved) cupboard, sometimes containing drawers, for holding clothes, documents, money, vessels, etc.Once, ? plur. without inflection.Hingand pres, a cupboard for hanging (? clothes) in. Naprie press, a linen chest or cupboard.Also, a cupboard into which a bed could be folded (cf. press-bed, quot. 1697 under b below).(1) sing. 1473 Treas. Acc. I 32.
xvj elne of canwes to put in the quenis pres 1506 Ib. III 48.
For lx elne Bertane claith to be foure schetis for pressis, of thre breidis and ilk ane v elne lang 1510 Irving Dumbartonsh. I. App. 99.
A waist stand bed, wyth a waist pres 1516 Edinb. B. Rec. I 161.
Ane pres with courtingis of reid and greyne sey 1533–4 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 136.
Ane stand bed of tree … ane pres at the bed fut 1534 Ib. 144.
Ane kervit bed and pres with lokis and keis thairto 1544 Coll. St. Leonard 218.
With twa beiddis vith ane pres betwix the beddis … thir beddis and pres ar fixit 1554–5 Old Dundee II 118.
George Blak, wricht, conditionit to mak the lids of his pres 1575 Dumfries B. Ct. 25 Oct.
The best stand bed wtih ayne lytill pres in the end of it 1590 Edinb. Test. XXI 299 b (see Buth n.³
Ane buytht pres and ane kist 1590 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 405.
Ane cleik with ane ey to the half lyd of his pres 1595 Perth Guildry MS 54l (26 June).
Ane firlott bandit with iron, pek and halff pect … laid in be the consell in the pres within the reuestrie 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 257 b.
My stand bed with the ruif and pres 1611–12 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 339.
For laying over the pres and the skelfs with greane in my ladies calbenit 1624 Sc. Hist. Rev. XXXVI ii 138.
Olde writts … founde in ane long olde drauing buiste standing in the ground of the meikle olde timber presse standing in the gallerie 1634 Edinb. Test. LVI 367.
Ane grytt indentit pres 1648 Lennoxlove MS [The Duke of Hamilton] F1/165/1.
A presse with 8 drawers 1695 Reg. Tests. Edinb. CC8/8/80.
Ane old fashioned uanscot press viij lib. c 1700 Hector Renfrewshire Rec. I 304.
Fourty-nine pounds Scots of laying money found in the defuncts press whilk as yet remains therinplur. 1512 Treas. Acc. IV 378.
For sex bandis thre lokkis till hir pressis 1612 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 326 (see Lofting n. and vbl. n. 2 b).
Presis 1621-40 Melville Commonpl. Bk. 27. 1641 Acts V (1817) 495/1.
Presses, boxes, buists, … for keeping the saids … records 1691 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 582.
For … making wire casements to the whole presses [in the library] 1693 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 165.
5 duble preses for books — 1584 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 349.
Thai fand the touns librarie … togidder with the haill skelffs, … pres and tymmer wark(b) 1618 Bk. Dunvegan I 118.
Item of readie money being within ane buist within the priess £40–10–8(c) 1658 Banff Ann. I 140.
Thoue brak wp ane of the dors of the prese(2) a1500 Henr. Fab. 2945 (H).
Now gownis gay, now bratis laid in pres [B. brattis to imbras](3) 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II 176.
Ane pres of aik for buikkis 1542 Eeles King's Coll. Chapel 27.
With ane pres off fyr, lidditt with terleis 1547 Reg. Great S. 20/1 n.
Ane gret pres of aik, caissit werk, 10 merkis(4) 1585 Elphinstone Mun. 193/1.
Ane tum coffer and ane greit pres for clais 1659 Craven Ch. in Orkney II 196.
Ane press for letres(5) 1571–2 Canongate Ct. Bk. 357.
Ane hingand pres 1691 Foulis Acc. Bk. 140.
To buy at Holand a naprie press [£7](6) 1581–2 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 229.
To caus mak … ane pres with ane lang saidill thairin, and the foirface to be of estland buird

b. Comb. and attrib. with almery [Cf. MF presse armoire (1371 in Wartburg)], bed, etc.Press-bed, a bed that can be enclosed in a chest or cupboard when not in use. Cf. (6) above, also quot. 1595 (Edinb. Test.) under (1) sing. above.Pres-schete, a sheet of (? coarse) cloth for lining a press, or as wrapping for its contents. Cf. quots. 1473 and 1506 under (1) above.(1) 1489–90 Prot. Bk. J. Young 75.
[A] pres almore [pressura] 1565 Linlithgow Sheriff Ct. 15 June.
Ane pres almery price xl s 1581 Edinb. Test. IX 87. 1595 Invent. Castle Campbell in Argyll Mun. MS 21 Feb. (Old Argyll MS Inv.).
My lordis inner cabinatt vith ane dor and ane pres amrie & langsettill affixit thairto 1610 Edinb. Test. XLVI 176.
The grit Flanders pres almerie that standis in the chamer 1692 Sc. N. & Q. 2 Ser. II 92.
Ane veshel press amrie — 1473 Treas. Acc. I 64.
A pres kist to the chapell to keip the graith — 1697 Foulis Acc. Bk. 201.
To pay the smith for helping my press-bed(2) 1507 Treas. Acc. III 335.
Tua pair pres schetis of thre breidis

2. An apparatus or instrument for applying controlled pressure.Freq. as the second element of a compound, the first element indicating the function, or manner of operation, of the press: see Cutting vbl. n. 3, Prenting vbl. n. 4 (5), sewing, wine, etc.

a. A wine-press. 1513 Doug. v Prol. 52.
Bot my propyne com from the pres fute hait, Onforlatit, not iawyn fra tun to tun

b. A printing-press.To be putt to, or to pas, the press, to be printed.(1) 1580 Misc. Bann. C. II 204.
Nynetene stane wecht of prenting lettres, … ane furneist preis, … ane cutting pres, … ane sewing pres 1643 Baillie II 76.
My mind wes in adding and pairing, and making readie for the presse my peice 1646 Misc. Bann. C. II 265.
Certane presses, lettres, warklomes, in the prenting house 1665 Irvine Mun. II 181.
He could produce no farder [books] quhill he revised his presses for ane space(2) 1611 Reg. Privy C. IX 235.
The haill Actis of Parliament whilkis as yitt hes not bene putt to the presse 1622 Scot Course of Conformity 153.
His thesis … could not paise the presse with priviledge

c. A press used in manufacturing paper from pulp (? by pressing out surplus moisture). 1594 Bk. Old Edinb. C. XXV 57.
The west mylne of Dalry … quhilk is presentlie a paper mylne … ane pres for the said mylne

d. An instrument for pressing cloth. 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII 233.
Ane walkeris pres price thairof xxxvj li. 1601 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 307.
Ane press for pressing of all soirt of claithe 1619 Ib. 199.
Ane pres for pressing of the saidis stuffes 1687 New Mills Manuf. 154.
That the mesters pearch all the cloath … befor it goe to the press 1713 Ib. lxxxiv (see Pres(s)ing paper n.).

e. A coining-press. 1637 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. VI 361.
A compendious and expedite way for coynning of the said bulyeoun and dollers with the milne and presse 1638 Cochran-Patrick Coinage I lii.
Ane littill hand pres £18.0.0 … .2 great hand presses £140.0.0 … .3 suey presses £140.0.0. 1641 Ib. xxxi.
This way of coinage by the mylne press and swey is a great deall more dispatcheing, bot more expensive then the vther by forgeing and striking with the hamer 1675 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV 359.
Presses that goe with swey and screw

f. comb. — 1673 Leith Customs 7.
2 press boards