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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.

S(c)hed, v. Also: s(c)hedd-, scheid, schade. P.t. and p.p. s(c)hed(e, s(c)hedd(e, scheid, shade, schaid; scheddit. [ME and e.m.E. shoden (c1200), scheaden (Ancr. R.), scheden (c1275), p.t. shadde (Orm), schedde (1315), also schedide (Wyclif), schet (c1400), shadd (c1500), p.p. shadde (Orm), scheud (Cursor M.), isedde (a1325), yschad (14th c.), schode (1390), shead (Caxton), OE sc(e)ádan, p.t. sc(e)ád, p.p. sc(e)áden, also scēadan, p.t. scēad (? p.p. scēaden).]

I. 1. tr. To separate, or put apart, (a person or group of persons) from others; specif., to separate (out) (a sheep, or group of sheep) from others.To sched in (a number of parts), to divide into (the specified number of parts).(1) c1475 Wall. v 77.
Wallace mycht nocht a graith straik on him gett: Ȝhett schede he thaim, a full royd slope was maid a1500 K. Hart 203.
Thai gave ane schout and sone thai haue thame sched And … kan thame bundin bring(2) 1533 Selkirk B. Ct. (ed.) 131.
We saw … Thome Gowanlok servand scheid out Jame Turnbull yowe fra thairis 1656 Peebles B. Rec. II 34.
Each burges … to … help the herdis to shed the lambed ewes from thes that ar not lambed 1692 Ib. 139.
The saids herds … shall [not] suffer … any to pasture, shed or trouble goods without acquainting the magistrats(3) 1513 Doug. vi ix 13.
Heir is the place quhar owr passage … Departit is, and sched in stretis twane 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 227/237.
He shedd in thre in crescentis forme this martiall armee braue

b. To put apart (two complementary parts of the body, esp. a woman's legs prior to copulation); (of a woman) to hold the legs apart to allow copulation.(1) c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 106.
He schowis one me his schevill mouth and schedis my lippis 1540 Lynd. Sat. 692.
Bot suddanly hir schankis I sched, With hochurhudy amang hir howis c1550 Id. Meldrum 994.
Judge ȝe gif he hir schankis shed a1568 Bann. MS 143b/7.
Wald ȝe ȝour schankis lat me sched(2) a1568 Scott iv 30.
For conȝie ȝe may chawcht hir To sched hir schankis in twane

c. To separate (one thing from another). 1513 Doug. vii ix 104.
Wallis feill … Skellies … may not empar, Bot gif thai sched fra his sydis the wair 1587-99 Hume 25/1.
O perfite light quhilk schaid away The darkenes from the light

d. To sched the self, to come apart. a1578 Pitsc. II 90/20.
The new wark ȝeid frome the auld and sched the self

2. To cause to depart, drive away, put to flight. 1460 Hay Alex. 14514.
Bot Alexander with sound of trumpett thame [supra all ille beistis] sched a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 18.
The northin wind had … sched the mistie cloudis fra the sky a1605 Montg. Flyt. 506 (T).
Quhair that serpent [had] sowkit sair wes to sched it

3. intr. a. With a non-count noun as subject: To separate into smaller groups; to split up. b. With pl. subject: To go apart from each other; to part company.a. 1456 Hay I 61/30.
The bataill of Pompee began to sched and till irk, and toke the flichtb. 1535 Stewart 48288.
The Inglismen … Schoudrit and sched like scheip intill ane fald Befoir Wallace Ib. 56827.
To caus his men to sched and skaill in twyn Ib. 56868.
Lyke ony scheip tha schudrit all and sched, Quhair euir tha come befoir his face tha fled c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 472.
Quhill deid thame twa depart, Riches, seiknes, neuer to gar thame sched 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 48/107.
Ay whill they shedd at night a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 855 (W).
Gif that we sched Thou sall not get thy purpose sped 1596 Dalr. II 27/27.
Quhill deith parted thame tha neuir schedd 1600 Crim. Trials II 156.
Quhow my lord and Jhone Ramsay sched he knew nocht a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxii 31.
I seik some shift that we may shed 16.. Hist. Kennedy 39.
Try itt or we sched 1629 Dundonald Par. Rec. 271.
They begaune to thair drinking a little after daye light going and shed about nyne houres at even 1630 Ib. 304. 1638 Dickson in Sel. Biog. II 23.
Christ and the man never sheds a1651 Calderwood VII 532. a1700 Mare of Colinton 81.
With this they shed

c. To sched fra, or with, (another person), to go away from, to leave. d. To sched from, or with, (a thing), to part with, give up, do without.c. (1) 1552 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 160 (13 June).
To mak hir payment or he sched fra hir thare of c1590 J. Stewart 93/476.
Quhan the vermell Matutina sched … hir adgeit husband fro 1590 Burel Pilgr. i 250.
Than fled thay, and sched thay, Euery ane from ane vdder 1635 Dickson Wr. 218.
With full purpose never to shed from Him [sc. Christ] Id. Matthew 198.
When he hath shed from me for fear of the crosse(2) 1596 Dalr. II 440/28.
This way with thame scho sched and bad adew 1635 Dickson Wr. 166.
Lest … ye shed with God a1659 W. Guthrie Christians Gt. Interest 214.
If thou must shed with him, yet dost wish well to him [etc.] 1661 Black Sc. Witches 47.
They shed with other vpon Williame Scotts knowd. (1) 1635 Dickson Wr. 103.
Whosoever thou art that … art daily more and more shedding from sin(2) 1638 Henderson Serm. 439.
But for that whilk was his right eye and his right hand, he could by no means shed with that: he keeped that fast

4. (To be) shed(d, (to be) scattered; (to be) separated, parted.The example from Alex. may be p.t., with harnes as object, and so properly belong to 8 below. ?1438 Alex. ii 9129.
Mony ane hede to-brokin was Mony man did mekill blude blede And with hard dynt harnes shed [F. et perdu maint hernas] 1581-1623 James VI Poems II 94/17.
And sine how we so soone were shedd Ib. 96/32.
Why … gars [thou] true louers so Far shedd remaine

5. tr. To part (the hair) on the top of the head. a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 222.
With hair as gold kemmit and sched abak c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 22.
Kemmit was thair cleir hair and curiouslie sched Attour thair schulderis doun schyre, schyning full bricht

b. intr. With the hair as subject: To part, hang down in separate parts. 15.. Clar. iv 1189.
Hir hairis bright … In aureat tresis hang doun … Doun schading from hir face

6. tr. To separate (a part from the whole) by cutting off or shearing away; to cut or cleave off. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 990.
The tothir … Scheddit his schire wedis scharply away 1535 Stewart 509.
Bristis war brissin … , Schulderis wer schorne and sched the bodie fra Ib. 2428.
Schulderis war sched, and mony laid in swoun

b. To cut, shape by cutting. a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 604.
His geir … With gold and goulis sa gay graithit in grene Ane schene scheild and ane schaft, that scharply was sched

c. fig. To ‘cleave’ air or water by the motions of flying or swimming. a1500 Henr. Fab. 1667.
The foulis fair … Scheddand the air with pennis grit and small 1587-99 Hume 22/184.
The little friand fish … Quhilk shedds the waters

7. intr. To undergo splitting; to break apart; to splinter. 1535 Stewart 2363.
Speiris brak and scheildis sched and claue

II. 8. tr. To cause (blood or brains) to spill, flow or run out from a person's body or head by cleaving or wounding it; to cause bloodshed; to spill blood; to kill by violent means, usu. by bloodshed.To sched grete blude (mekill (of) blude), to kill many people. 1375 Barb. i 294.
He sa fele off harnys sched That nane … thaim can tell ?1438 Alex. i 1066.
He sa hard his fais led That he baith blude and harnes shed [F. Sanc et cervel espandre] And with his brand of blude all rede [etc.] c1420 Wynt. ii 12.
Mekyll off sakles blwde he schede c1475 Wall. ii 10.
It was his lyff … To se thaim sched the byrnand Sothroun blude 1513 Doug. ii ii 26.
Troianys … To sched my blude … dois seik Ib. ix 74.
The hait blude of his son, sched new c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1943.
Weir scheddis mekle saikles blude Ib. 4081.
Thare blude wes sched aboundantly c1554 Makeson Genesis fol. 1.
Abell … Quhais bluid vas scheid for his greyt innocence 15.. Clar. iii 370.
Quhilk as ane lyoun bold [ed. wod] Never seicit to sched his foes bluid 1567 Reg. Privy C. I 535.
Seing the plaig of God sall nocht depart frome the cuntre or toun quhair innocent blude is sched 1569 Ib. II 38.
[He] had nocht faillit to have sched greit blude, wer nocht [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I 10/8.
For the gret bluide was sched at Pinkie feild Ib. II 94/27.
Thair had not bene so mekill bloode scheid 1596 Dalr. II 27/3.
That day in that feild was sched mekle Scotis blude 1600-1610 Melvill 81.
He … haid the hape never to sched blud with his awin hand, nor to haiff his blud schede 1637 Baillie I 4.
So much Christian blood monethly shed

b. specif. To shed the blood of Christ or a martyr; to cause (Him, etc.) to suffer death as in c below; also, once, of a pagan sacrifice.(1) a1400 Leg. S. i 376.
Ger wipe myn blud of ȝon stede, Quhare I for thé gert it be schede Ib. iii 619.
Behald how sched is thi blud 1456 Hay I 105/19.
At Jerusalem, thare quhare His blude was sched c1500-c1512 Dunb. (OUP) 8/43.
His saikles blude agane thay sched a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 133/9.
The bluid quhilk they ar to sched that crucifyis me 1567 G. Ball. 43.
He gaif thame for to drink In wyne His blude the quhilk was sched(2) 1513 Doug. viii iii 24.
Besyde the altar blude sched and scalit new, Beand lew warm thar full fast dyd reik

c. To sched (one's own) blude, to undergo letting of blood, wounding or violent death (for a cause or for other people) in a spirit of acceptance; to sacrifice one's life. a1400 Leg. S. xxxvi 1009.
That haly nowmir … That sched thare blud for Cristis sak a1500 Henr. Prayer 42.
Lord … That for ws synnaris sched Thy pretius blude 1490 Irland Mir. I 159/17. a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 1496 (Asl.).
Herfor marthyris … schrenkit on na wys … Blythlie thair blude to sched in sacrifys a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 149.
Efter aucht dais of His natiuite He sched His blude in circumcisioun c1520-c1535 Nisbet Luke xxii 20.
The new testament in my blude that salbe schedde for you Id. II 27 marg.
That Christ hes scheid His blude for us c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4969.
O Prince, quhilk sched for vs Thy precious blude [etc.] 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 69.
Christe … sched … Als gret abundance of His blude For the pure sely nakit thyng As He sched for the potent kyng a1561 Q. Kennedy Breif Tract. (ed.) 114/17. 1567 G. Ball. 159.
Thy attenement and peace to mak, He sched His blude maist halie Ib. 165.
Christ … That for our sinnis sched Thy blude a1595 Cullen Chron. Aberd. 49.
The bluid of Thy dear Sone, ouir Lord, Was sched abunduntlie … for all sik [etc.]

9. To let fall (tears, etc.) in drops. Also to sched furth. Also absol.(1) 1513 Doug. v vi 99.
The seymly terys, Sched for dysdeyn he suld swa leys hys pryce 1596 Dalr. II 283/23.
At the first word he grew pale and wann, as fra hand to shed teiris a1605 Montg. Misc. P. viii 13. 1611 Reg. Panmure I xxxvi.
The lady his wyf … newir sheddine any teares(2) 1513 Doug. iii v 127.
Betwix ilk word feil bricht teris furth he sched Ib. vi vii 93.
Dido … Maid him to weip and sched furth teris wakabsol. c1590 J. Stewart 137 §6.
The christall skyis vith color cleir celest Maist cleinlie glistrit sched in siluer slops

10. To spill (wine). Only in passive, without specification of agent. Also to sched out. c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. ix 17.
Ellis the boces ar to brekin, and the wyne sched out Id. Mark ii 22.
The wyne sal brek the [old] boces, and the wyne salbe sched out 1622-6 Bisset II 246/1.
Sa that the ane schip is domaged be this straik and thair is wynis sched in baith pairtis

b. To pour out (liquid). c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xxvi 7.
A woman that had a boist … of precious onyement com to him and sched out on the heid of him resting Id. Mark xiv 3.
Scho sched it out on his heide

c. To emit (fluid) from the body. 1562-3 Winȝet I 116/1.
Our saluiour sched wattir and bluid in the mysterie of our redemptioun

11. With a non-material thing as object: To emit, give forth; to throw (a light); to utter (a prayer or sigh); to bestow (a benefit or quality, etc.) on a person; to diffuse.Also to sched out (abreid), const. to, on, into a person or community, or in a person's heart.(1) 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 100.
Latonyna … Hir subtell blenkis sched and watry lycht 1567 G. Ball. 5.
Quhilk [supra the … renewing of the Haly Gaist] He sched on vs aboundantlie 1596 Dalr. I 111/9.
Throuch thair prayeris, quhilkes ydenly with al diligence thay sched for thair cuntrey 1604-31 Craig ii 61.
To see the sainct for whom my sighs are shade(2) c1515 Kennedy Asl. MS II 273/11.
The beriale bosome that our blis in bred Sched betuix synnaris and Godis iugement c1520-c1535 Nisbet Acts ii 17.
I sal sched out my spirit on ilk flesch Ib. x 45.
Alsa in to natiouns the grace of the Haligaast is sched Id. Ep. Ald Test. xxvii 10.
Quhen thou scheddis out thi saule to ane hungriman and [etc.] a1599 Rollock Wks. I 440.
Except the Spreit sched abreid in our harts that love He beiris to us [etc.]

b. ? intr. for passive. 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 1892.
The durris and the windois all war breddit With massie gold, quhairof the fynes scheddit