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

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Saker, Sacre, Saiker, n. Also: sakar, sachar, saikyr, shaiker, salker, seker. [e.m.E. saker (1521), sacre (1546), transf. use of ME and e.m.E. sacre (c1400), saker (c1530), MF sacre (1373 in Larousse) a species of falcon (Falcon n. 2). Cf. Sacrat n.]In pl. also uninfl.

A type of cannon.‘Smaller than a demi-culverin, formerly, much employed in sieges and on ships’ (OED); ‘nearly as heavy as a demi-culverene but with shot of no more than 5–7 lb.’ (Navy Rec. Soc., Naval Misc. II 82); ‘lançant des projectiles de cinq livres’ (Hatz.-Darm., s.v. Sacre). 1549 Compl. 41/32.
Falcons, saikyrs, half saikyrs [etc.] 1566 Inv. Wardrobe 167.
Ane Inglis sacre of found mountit upoun stok quheillis and aixtre 1577 Reg. Privy C. II 659.
The bark callit the Mynioun with … thre barssis … twa falconattis, twa half myonis, twa half sacharis 1581 Mar & Kellie MSS 35.
Twa sacres [ed. facces] of iryne, the ane thereoff stockit and quheillit without iryne werk 1585 Elphinstone Mun. 193/1.
Ane dymmie culvering of irne … tua sakaris of irne 15.. Balcarres P. MS V 73.
Sakers of brase and yerne ii 1615 M. Works Acc. (ed.) I 369.
Thrie iron sakeris … to the castell of Edinburgh 1633 Ib. II 372.
Spounges for demicolveringis and sakeres 1644 Acts VI i 85/2.
Tua peece of ordinance called saikeris 1645 Army of the Covenant I 117.
Salkers ?c1675 J. Gordon Hist. II 253.
They looked lycke ball of all syzes, from a pistoll to feeld peeces, such as sakers or robinettsuninfl. pl. 1627 Stirling's Royal Lett. I 115.
To buy for the vse of tuo schippes … 16 minnon, 4 saker and 6 falcon 1628 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 217.
Nyne pair of quheillis for the battert, saiker, and moyen 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 18.
Tuo saiker and tuo minion gunns

b. Attrib. with bore, bullet, ladill, schot and comb. with cutte, gun. 1617 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II 69.
To Thomas Foster for making of saker ladill 1627 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. II 42.
Fourescore demiculvering bullets and fourescore seker bullets 1629 Ib. III 251.
Threescore bulletts callit shaiker shott 1639 Ruthven Corr. 14.
With 3 lastes of powder, 3 fatts of matche, demy-culverin, saker, minion, falcon and falconett shott, of eache one toune 1641 Ayrsh. Coll. IV 149.
Bulletts for greate ordnance of saker bore and lesser 1661 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 102.
Tuo saker gunes each weying 1600 weight and four saiker cuttes, each weying 600 weight