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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.

Prik, n. Also: prike, prick(e, pric, pryk(e; plur. also prikkis. [ME and e.m.E. prike (c 1160), pricke (Ancr. R.), prik (Cursor M.), prikk(e (14th c.), OE prica, pricca m., price f., = MLG pricke (LG, Du. prik).the OE and the earliest ME senses are ‘puncture, point, small dot, particle, etc.’ which are appar. unrecorded in Older Sc.]

I. 1. An implement which pierces or impales, as a spike, needle, skewer, pin, point of a spear; also, an upright spike.In various specific applications, including knitting pin or knitting needle; and also 2 below.For the proverbs with nose see Nos(e n. 1 b.(1) c1420 Wynt. vi 1410.
Bot gyue a man wald in thame thryst A scharpe brode, or than wald styke In to thai sergis a scharpe pryke … Swa sloknyd mycht thai lychtis be 1513 Doug. x viii 114.
The bustuus strake throw all hys armour thrang … Quhil throu the cost thyrlyt the dedly pryk 1520 Perth Hammermen 11.
For half ane pound of walx makyng on the prik c1552 Lynd.Mon. 2292.
Sanct Tredwall … Quhilk, on ane prik, heth boyth hir eine 1554 Edinb. B. Rec. II 354.
For … making of ane prike of irne with thre flowrs to beir the candillis about the funt 1560 Edinb. Old Acc. I 323.
For ane irne prik to put ane mannis heid upoun 1566 Ib. 504.
For the making of the gibbets and the prik 1600-1610 Melvill 117. 1603 Crim. Trials II 423. 1608 Ib. 260.
His heid to be put vp vpone ane prik of irne 1627 Justiciary Cases I 74.
His heid and rycht hand to be put apone irne prikis 1650 Nicoll Diary 14. a1651 Calderwood III 285. 1661 Funeral Acc. MS i 5 (M. of Montrose).
The prick wheron my lord head was 1681 Fountainhall Decis. I 159.(3) 1613 Cranna Fraserburgh 25.
To … admit … massones, smythes, vrichtes, vyweres one prikes, saidilleres [etc.] … and all vther craftsmen necessar … to the libertie off ane frie burgh(4) 1641 Houston Auchterderran 235.
The theaking of the laigh hall … 40 sh. Item for prickes thairto, 20 sh. 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 10 b.
For casting fealls to the gabills of the house, for 700 priks to theik the same

b. As a type of something of little consequence. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1240.
Of all that rout was neuer a prik disioynt For all our tary 1535 Stewart 28849.
[He] Rycht equalie … Be the leist prick of hors, harnes or geir Distribute hes amang his men of weir

c. Allusively and fig. for something that pierces, pains, goads or spurs.(1) 1513 Doug. x x 135.
Tyll hys hart stoundis the pryk of deth 1567 Sat. P. vi 111.
Ȝour foulische pietie did thame spair befoir Thairfoir ye fand thame prickis vnto your ene 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 403.
That it may be ane prik and spur to the verteous … to ga fordwart in all richteousnes a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxvii 4.
I wot ȝe never kneu A harte more treu … Till tym, the prik of jelousie, it sleu(2) 1562-3 Winȝet I 61/11.
Sua we ar assuirit that na leirnit of thame without prik of conscience … sall tak pen in hand in our contrare Ib. 66/17. 1630 Fraserburgh Kirk S. II 12 May.
Since the said tyme he hed euer a prick in his conscience(3) 1567 Sat. P. iv 165.
My plesoure, prikis, my paine ay to prouoke: My solace, sorow, sobbing to asteir

2. An upright spike or rod, in further specific applications of 1. a. An indicator of a sun-dial or the like. 1566 Edinb. B. Rec. III 225.
Maister Jhone Prestoun … to caus mend the prik of the sone orlege 1646 J. Hope Diary (1958) 172.
All showing the houres … upon the same grounds, or motione of a brasse circle with a pricke in it untill it have no shaddow

b. The central supporter of the cross-bar of the standard firlot or other similarly constructed measure. 1587 Acts III 522/1.
And that ther be a prik of irne ane insche in roundnes … ryssing vpricht out of the … middis of the bottom of the firlot and passing throw the middis of the said ovir cors bar 1618 Ib. IV 586/2. 1624 Linlithgow B. Rec. 27 Feb.
For mending of the yrne wark of wther ten peckis and working of sewin new croce barres and ten prickes 1636–7 Dumbarton Common Gd. Acc. 92.
A new prik and crosbar to a meill furlet Ib.
Pric 1663 Stirling Common Good 14.
8 prickis & balkis & bottom girds to the pecks

c. ? One set on a billiard-board. 1599 Treas. Acc. MS 72.
To … smyth for … ane port and prik to the bilȝard burd

3. A spire or a pinnacle; also, a pyramidal turret. = Prik(k)at n. 3.The last two quots. may belong to 1 (2). 1511 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I 103.
The said Johnne sal … compleit … the brandraucht and loft that the prik of that said stepil sal be raisit on, togidder with the said prik … weill … hewin as the stepil and prik of the kirk of Sanct Johnnstoun is Ib.
And [he] sall rais the prik of the said stepil abuf that tume … witht the knop and cok one the hed of the samyn 1536 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 180.
To … the ii gret prikis ruffis 1539–41 Ib. 281.
For the … fluringis of the gret turngres heid the heid and tymmer prik ruiff and sark of the samyn 1562-3 Winȝet II 66/27.
Than the deuil tuke Him … and set Him aboue the prik of the temple 1596–7 Dundee B. Laws 145.
[To erect] ane sufficient prick of stane fyne aistler wark … , rysing with awcht square pains … whilk prick sall be in hicht fra the alreing of the tolbuith to the thak table of the samen prick, ellewen footis, the thak of the prick to be [etc.] 1629 Lowther's Jrnl. 16.]
[The steeple … having at each corner 4 pyramidal turrets, they call them pricks 1629 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 255.
The lyon, unicorne, and four theanes of the prikis with thair knapis to be giltit 1647 R. Brown Paisley I 226.
A prick is to be builded in the tollbuith for a new bell 1650 Nicoll Diary 24.
The toun also wes forcit to demolische … the four prickes bigged in the Neddir Bow, quhilk wes ane verry great ornament thairto, and placed cannoun thairon 1654 Musselburgh Burgess Ticket (Nat. Mus. Antiq.) 16 Nov.
The widdercok upone the prick of the knokhous 1675 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. IV 495.
Albeit he should be hanged … and his head sett up upon the prick of the said steeple 1684 Law Memor. 11.
About this same tyme, was the bones of the late James Marqess of Montrose raised up … and his heid taken off the prick of the tolbooth

4. A type of target in archery.Described as one that had a small prick or white spot in its centre and was set at a fixed and moderate distance (Encycl. Britt., ed. 14, s.v. Archery). a1568 Scott v 44.
Archeris will … schute … Sum at the reveris, sum at the prikkis, Sum laich and to beneth the clais a1578 Pitsc. I 340/15.
That the said Inglischemen sould schute aganis thame ether at prickis, reveris or at buttis as the Scottis pleissit

5. The fact of being pricked or the sensation so caused. 1672 M. Bruce Rattling Dry Bones 36.
Where there is flech and liveliness, a prick or a jagg will make the body cry

6. Proverbially. a. To spurn aganis or kick at the prick (sense 1 above) (as oxen at the goad). c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts xxii 7.
It is hard to thee to spurn aganis the prick a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1206 (Wr.).
Quoth Courage, kicking at the prick a1598 Ferg. Prov. No. 510.
It is hard to fling at the brod, or kick at the prick

b. To pas or go through the pricks, ? sense 4 above. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 573.
He hes past the prikes ? 1660–90 J. Walwood in P. Gillespie Rulers Sins (1718) 12.
The man that's saved, he goes through the pricks

II. Attrib. and comb. in various applications. 7. That resembles a spike, spiky, pointed.Cf. also Prik adj.¹Also in the later dial. prik-hornit, ‘having erect horns like pricks or spikes’ (SND, s.v. Prick n. 2 (1)). Prik-batt, ‘a metal staple having sharpened points’ (SND, s.v. Prick n. 2 (1)).(1) 1531 Wigtown B. Ct. 246 a.
Ane blak prik hornit kow 1563 Prot. Bk. J. Drummond MS 30.
ix oxin … , ane blak prik hornit, … ane blak kippit(2) 1682 Lennoxlove MS [The Duke of Hamilton] F1/482/1/2.
For 42 prickbatts & 2 irones for ragling of the walles … £2.10 s.

8. Prick-wovin, ? woven with ‘pricks’ or knitting-pins (1 (3) above), knitted. b. Of yarn: ? Suitable for knitting. c. Of a garment: ? Knitted. 1582 Edinb. Test. XI 308 b.
To Margaret Vans ane prick wovin wylie coitb. 1576 Edinb. Test. IV 155.
viij pund of prik hemp price xvj s.c. 1612 Kirkcudbr. B. Rec. II 116.
For a pair greine prick schainkis 1614 Mar & Kellie MSS 72.
The commodaties that ar maid … in the countrie, … Prick hoise, 21,514 pair 1640 Edinb. Test. LIX 207 b.
Nyntene hundreth of prik hois 1667–9 Home Clothing Acc. MS (Earl of Home) 1.
1 pr. of blak prike silk stockens 1707 Conv. Burghs IV 431.
That for hereafter all prick stockings may be made of three plyed wosten

d. Prick-seemit = e.m.E. prick-seamed (1624), f. prick-seam (1632) ‘a particular stitch used in glove-sewing’ (OED). — 1681 Lennoxlove MS [The Duke of Hamilton] F1/482/1/9.
[Merchant's account] A pair of prick seemit gloves to Lord Bassill

9. ? A species of wood; ? a type of bed. — 1684 Brechin Test. VII 109.
Two standing prick firr beds a box bed [etc.]

10. Prik-merk, (Mark n.¹ 2), also prick-bonnet, = 4 above. Also fig., the ‘target’, aim, object.e.m.E. pricke marke (1556).(1) 1563 Edinb. B. Rec. III 167.
Fair buttis and prik merkis for seruing of the nychtbouris in honest and necessar pastyme Ib. 168.
Within the said space in the said myre salbe maid dry buttis and prik merkis, boundit and fixit(2) a1578 Pitsc. (1814) II 348.
That … Inglisch men sould schott againes thame at riveris, buttis or prick bonnett(3) fig. 1588 King Cat. 29.
Baith the beginning and prikmark of our wil, and of al our doings

11. Prik-mesure, -met, -straik mesure, also prik-firlot, a name given to the standard measure of dry goods, esp. the standard firlot of Linlithgow, constructed as prescribed in 1587 Acts III 522/1 and 1618 Acts IV 586/2, with a ‘prick’ as in 2 b above.The measure of 1587 was prescribed both for those goods, viz. wheat, rye, pease, etc., formerly measured by ‘strake’ measure and those, viz. malt, bere and oats, formerly measured by ‘heaped measure’, but in 1618 a new larger measure was ordained for the latter.(1) 1612 Conv. Burghs II 379.
For conforming the prik mett of pek and furlitt to the awld messour … and suspending the acts of the said prik mett in the meyntyme 1612 Dunferm. B. Rec. II 101.
For the prick mettis to the burght of Linlithgow 1612–13 Misc. Spald. C. V 138.
In passing to Edinburght commissionar for this burght concerning the prick measures 1622 M.P. Brown Suppl. Decis. I 1.
In respect the Act of Parliament dischargeing all metts except the prick-mett, which the feuars alleged to be more than that of the mett of Craill, with the which their bolls were of old payed: The lords found that the mett of Craill … should be conferred and broken with the prick-mett; and … that the bolls should be payed now according to the quantity which the said firlot of Craill held, but with the measure of the prick-firlot now allowed 1626 (1634) Reg. Great S. 64/1.
Reddend. … 3 celdras 4 bollas victualium feudifirme (½ farine et ½ hordei) mensure et lie prick-mett de Leith 1629 Dumbarton B. Rec. 32.
That nane sell meill, malt, or beir, with ony uthir missirs bot the new prik straik missirs 1636 Glasg. Univ. Mun. I 257.
Four chalderis beir and aucht bollis meill of the mett and measor of Linlithgow, now callit the prick mett 1641 Acts V 676/2.
And notwithstanding that thay [Wigtown] ar chairgit to ressave the prick measure … thay will mak na vse of the samen 1641 Dundee B. Laws 153.
Our prick firlott for the meall … containing twentie one pynt and ane choppin … Our prick firlott for the beare is threttie one pynts 1643 Acts VI 20/2.
Be measureing thre bollis mealle out of the shippes loading with the prick firlott of Leith 1647 Elgin Rec. I 182.
And that for the lend of the prick mett of Elgin 1677 Laing Chart. 647.
[The grain to be measured in the barns with the] prickmett [of Leith](2) 1638 Laing Chart. 533.
[And sixteen bolls of] gud and sufficient bear … all prickmot [sic] 1644 Army of the Covenant II 317.
From William and Abraham Hoomes nyntie bolls prick measur 1649 Berw. Nat. C. XV 351.
The worth of the teinds of Stichell proven … to be 15 chalders of Tiviotdaill measure, but undervalued 10 chalders of prick mett

b. Also prik-boll, peck, as measured by prick-measure as above. 1661 Melrose Reg. Rec. I 359.
Deduceand ane prick pecke aither aits or [blank in ed.] 1665 Ib. II 132.
Ane prick boll of oats 1668 Ib. 198.
[A boll of bear and] ane prick peck