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

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

Rope, Roip, n. Also: rop; roap(e; rowpe; roup. [ME and midl. and south. e.m.E. rop (c1275), rope (Manning). Cf. Rape n.] a. = Rape n. 1. Also comb. in rope-dancing (cf. 18th c. Eng. (a1704)), rope-works (cf. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) (1797)), etc.(a) 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 219.
By thrawing of his head with a rope, wherat he would confesse nothing 1662 Lamont Diary 159.
Ther was ane other montebancke … had the leaping and flying rope(b) 1589 Reg. Privy C. IV 821.
A rowpe … by the which he conveyed himselve owt of a wyndow 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. fol. 1b.
For ane other roup to the windolls(c) 1590–1 Crim. Trials I ii 215.
Her maister … did … torment her with … binding or wrinching her head with a cord or roape 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 493.
His sone and servants being in a kill barn, tuisting roapes of straw 1682 Edinb. B. Rec. XI 36.
Ane timber house for boylling of his roaps 1683–90 Soc. Ant. LIV 245.
For roaps to bottom nine beds at 20 s. the bed(d) Ferg. a1598 Prov. MS No. 579.
He thrawes rops of the sand [pr. hand] 1633 Lithgow Poet. Remains 112.
Bund with rops and cords, That sometimes serue the hangman 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. fol. 10b.
For 4 thrave straw to be rops to the lumes 1677 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 20 Jan.
For sp[l]iceing the water rop 1692 Edinb. B. Rec. XII 104.
Of the sole priviledge of makeing of rops and cords within this kingdome(e) 1622-6 Bisset II 293/22.
He had a capill roip tyed about his nekcomb. 1677 Cunningham Diary 103.
For seeing the rope dancing, 6 s. 8 d. 1677 Edinb. B. Rec. X 325.
John Nash roap dancer craving libertie … to put up volting roaps therin — 1663 Edinb. B. Rec. IX 335.
A tack … granted to James Davidson … of Newhaven … for a rope-works

b. = Rape n. 2. 1552 Prot. Bk. M. Carruthers 58.
[The merkland to be divided equally … in] the akyr and half akyr with reyd and roup 1650 Strathbogie Presb. 137.
And ther measured with rood and roap, the forsaid old gleib