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

About this entry:
First published 1990 (DOST Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Refar, Revar, -er, n. Also: -are; revere, -air, -ear, -ir; reffar(e, -ayr; rewer(e; ryver; reifar, -er; reiffar(e, reyffar, reivar, -air, -er; reevar, rief-, reaver; raiv-, raver. [ME and e.m.E. ræuere, reauer(e, reuer, refar, also reyuour (c1380), reyvar, OE réafere, agent-n. f. réafian Ref(e v.¹]

1. A robber; a raider or marauder; a plunderer; ? one who carries off a person forcibly; a thief, more generally.Also, const. of the place plundered or of the thing stolen.Also attrib.Also, as the second element of a compound with mete, s.v. Mete n.¹ 4 c.See also Rede-refar. Cf. next.(1) c1420 Wynt. iii 1031.
Thir twa gadyryt off revarys … A gret multitud 1456 Hay I 136/14.
In his way he fyndis revaris that takis fra him all that he has forsabily Ib. 243/3.
Commoun thefis and revaris Ib. 92/14.
Revare Id. Alex. (S.T.S.) 2255.
He suld him hing on gallow tre As a knaife, ane rever, and ane theife 1481 Acts II 138/2.
[They] being lang haldin and taryit in Ingland be the revare Edward calland him king of Ingland a1500 Prestis of Peblis 511.
Reuer and theif Thou hes … brocht me in mischeif ?a1500 Remembr. Passion 51.
Think how thai band Him like a theif or revir 1513 Doug. xi ix 95.
Pallas … breke onon Ȝon Troiane revaris [Ruddim. ryueris] wapynnys and his speir 1535 Stewart 1004.
[We] knawis nocht of thair genelogie, Thevis, revaris, or leill men gif tha be 1536–7 Sc. Hist. Rev. VII 358.
Specialie in the resisting of thevis and reverris in the defence of him self and vtheris our tenentis 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 5.
Petir Moffet, ane greit rever and theif, wes heidit 1602 Reg. Privy C. VI 452 (see Oppresso(u)r n.).(b) 14.. Acts I 380/2.
Reffaris 14.. Reg. Maj. c. 149. 1478 Ib. II 119/2.
Refare 1497–8 Acta Conc. II 102.
And al nerrast about thame to folow the sade … reffare, … quhil he be … brocht to the schiref 1517 Yester Wr. 121.
For the defence of the kingis trew liegis aganis the theiffis reffaris and traitouris oure souerane lordis rebellis a1538 Abell 9b.
Thir barnis … gadirit ane multitude of hirdis & refaris 1551 Hamilton Cat. 96.
Al reffaris quhilk … spulyeis uther men of thair geir, quhidder it be be land or see(c) 1375 Barb. xix 667 (E).
[The fisher] said, ‘Reiffar, thow mon her out’ 1398 Acts I 211/1.
Manslaerys reiferis brynneris [etc.] 1460 Hay Alex. (S.T.S.) 4351.
Nocht as a kingis sone of Massedone, Bot as a prince of reiffaris and patrone 1533 Boece 75.
Reiffare 1525 St. A. Formulare I 268.
Reyffaris a1578 Pitsc. I 66/11.
To theif and reiver he was ane sicker targe 1596 Dalr. I 102 marg.
Sluthhundes follow the reiueris & sumtymes take thame Ib. 121/17.
Reiuers, raikers, herriers of the ground, punise with a sword ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1818) 41 (see (4) below).
Reivairs c1615 Breve Cron. Earlis Ross 11.
Scapthriftis, alias reivars and sorneris(d) c1520-c1535 Nisbet 1 Cor. v 10.
That ye be nocht mexit with … couatous men, nore reevaris(e) 1596 Dalr. I 99/5.
Thir rieferis … ar sa fenced about(f) 1561 Warrender P. (S.H.S.) I 34.
Quhenevir that ony effray of thevis or raveris happynnis [etc.](g) c1590 Fowler II 184/33.
Or maisterfull reavers, that oppresseth the kings lieges 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i 3.(h) 1636 Aberd. Council Lett. II 52.
To persue them as traitors, theiffs, and raivers(2) 1528 Lynd. Dreme 172.
Mony wrangous conquerouris Withouttin rycht reiffaris of vtheris ryngis 1533 Boece 151b.
The Romanis, refaris and disturssaris of the warld a1538 Abell 19b.
Ȝow Romanis refaris of kinrikis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4205 (Bann.).
Revaris but richt of vthir menis realmes & ringis Arundel MS 281/89.
Thow maid, pirat, that is rever of saulis as pirat is in the sey, grant [etc.] — 1553 Reg. Privy C. I 148.
The said capitane of Norame reiffar of the said fyscheing — 1599 Reg. Privy C. VI 16.
That he wes the revair and awaytakair of the same [gold and silver](3) 1551 Hamilton Cat. 221.
Revaris, adulteraris and siclyk(4) 1456 Hay II 40/3.
Evill sett knychtis … assemblis syk evill men as thame selff, and gerris mony ruggaris and revaris, and othir wikkit men, destroy the commouns [etc.] 1570 Sat. P. xxi 3.
Quhat menis … Thir ruggars, reifars, Romeraikars, Waitting of na releif? 1596 Dalr. II 61/20.
Ruggaris and reiuers of vther menis geir ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 70.
The said heavin is quiet for fostering of thieves ruggaris and reevaris till await upon the pailing and spuilȝeing of poor mens geirproverb. a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS App. 127.
Reivars sould not be rewars a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 1321.
Reavers sould leive not be rewarsattrib. 1456 Hay II 30/13.
A traytour, thef, or revare knycht c1475 Wall. vi 380.
Than Wallace thus began to dyt in hast: ‘Thow [Edward I] reyffar king [etc.]’ — 1695 Misc. Maitl. C. I 431.
Each pairtie … sould lay doune aught merk and the pairtie rewer sould loose theirs

b. One who deprives (a person) of an immaterial thing. Cf. Ref(e v.¹ 4. — a1568 Bann. MS 231a/39.
Scho quhilk is the revar of my lyve

2. A pirate or sea-rover.See also Se-revar n. a1400 Leg. S. xxi 305.
Thare come in the sithtware Reueris sayland c1420 Wynt. viii 5489.
Willame had purchasyd off Dowglas A sturdy rewere [W. revere] off the se Wyth fyve schippis c1475 Wall. ix 87.
The best wer man in se is ws beforn, … The Rede Reffayr thai call him 1494 Loutfut MS 18b.
Him that bur him [sc. the otter] first in armes wes a reiffar on the watter & sowmar 1592 Crim. Trials I ii 267.
That nane … suffir or permitt ony Spanishe veshellis, Spanȝeartis, pyrottis, or revaris to have ressett … in ony of thair portis 1610 Ib. III 100.
Notorious pirattis, revearis and sea-robberis … lowsed af Ireland, in this schip