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

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First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Full, a. Also: fulle, fwll(e, fwl, ful(e, fuil(l, foul(le. [ME. fulle, full, ful, OE. full-, ful.]

1. Full of some thing or quality. a1400 Leg. S. xlvii. 85.
A rond quhele … Foul of colis red brynnand c1420 Wynt. i. 915.
Hayle, full of grace, and God with thé c1450-2 Howlat 6.
The feldis flurist, and fret full of fairhed 1456 Hay I. 84/19.
He that assailis is full of ire inflammyt a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1210.
This berne full of bewte c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 57.
Raggit ruke, and full of rebaldrie 1513 Doug. vi. i. 60.
Laborinthus Full of wrinkillit vnreturnable dissait 1533 Gau 65/13.
God … is trew and fwl of verite 1531 Bell. Boece II. 275.
The Inglismen, … slew thame all, quhen thay wer ful of winis 1614 Lanark B. Rec. 121.
He being fwl of drink makes ane schove or ane mint to me

b. Without of. 1456 Hay I. 76/10.
The mannis harnis is full in the full mone c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxiii. 27.
Quhen thair baggis ar full thair selfis ar bair c1552 Lynd. Mon. 6183.
The lytill crowat … Sall be sa full, that it may hold no more

c. Having eaten to repletion. 1456 Hay I. 249/22.
Efter mete quhen men are full and blithe a1500 Henr. Fab. 176 (A).
A tyme quhen scho was ful and wnfutsair

d. Having drunk to excess: intoxicated. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 3503.
Quhen he wes full, and fallin on sleip 1603 Elgin Rec. II. 109.
The strainger sturdie beggaris quho wer full and dronkin 1613 Rec. Old Aberd. I. 52.
He is delaitit … to be ane commond drunket and tuilȝeor quhan he is fwll 1651 Dundee Ct. Martial Rec. 42.
George Burton and another of them went to the brewsters, … and returned about ten houres being both full 1679 Peebles B. Rec. II. 96.
Any person that comes full to the court

2. Of the sea: At high tide. 1456 Hay I. 76/10.
The mannis harnis is full … at the full sea, and wanis as the full see 1533 Boece xii. ii. 457 b.
The tvme schippis … brokin and sonkin … ar … at ane full sey coverit 1555 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 297.
To beir two fyrn spars to the Newhewin … and to sett ane of thame at the full sey 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII. 115 b.
Ane schip … now lyand at the full sey 1628 Dundonald Par. Rec. 266.
Hew Reid … admonished for drawing the sparre out of the sea at the full water on the Sabbath

3. Complete, perfect, absolute.(1) 1387 Rotuli Sc. II. 73/1.
To do and tak full radresse and execution c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1888.
Thane thai … Gaf full credence thar-to 1405 James of Douglas Letter to Henry IV in Slater Early Sc. Texts No. 59.
To do yhou to wyte … qwhat my full will be to do c1420 Wynt. viii. 1775.
Quhen the Kyng Edward … herd off this deid full tythand 1439 Edinb. Chart. 64.
Grantand to … Robert … oure ful and playne poware 1485 Breadalbane Coll. (Reg. H.) Doc. No. 22.
Til a ful asithment be maid of the saidis soumes 1515 Douglas Corr. 71.
I sal do my devour and full best to convoy that mater 1528 Dunferm. B. Rec. 278.
It salbe lefull to the said … to haif ful ingres and regres a1578 Pitsc. I. 129/12.
Beffoir … he sould ressaue full remissioun of all offences 1585 Acts III. 415/1.
The samyn to stand in fuill strenth and effect(2) c1420 Wynt. v. 4427.
Efftyre hym off the empyre Zeno was full lord and syre 1446 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 404.
We … determynise the said Alexander lachfull and full ayer til his fadir 1468 Inchaffray Chart. 159.
We sal mak the said lord Oliphant our full bailȝe of all landis 1609 Montgomery Mem. 253.
As cautioneris, souerteis, and full dettoris for him

b. Of age: Perfect, mature. 14.. Acts I. 23/2.
And he … [be] of full elde c1420 Ratis R. 887.
Quhen thow art ful eild cumyne to

c. Of brothers or sisters: Having the same parents. 1400 Facs. Nat. MSS. II. 44.
Dame Mariory Comyne hyrre full sister c1420 Wynt. viii. 308.
He … Had a full brodyr off lauchfull bed Gottyn and borne 1449 Melville Chart. 33.
Margret, Cristiane and Marioune, ful sisteris to the saide Alexander a1508 Kennedy Flyt 533.
Belzebub thy full brothirtransf. c1515 Asl. MS. I. 201/3.
The duke … callit his twa sonnis that war of full bed

d. Of sums or quantities. 1442 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 8.
Than sall the said John … mak fwll the sowm of iiij^xx of lib. 1558 Edinb. B. Rec. III. 24.
Vnfremen that cumis … to vent and sell thair gluffis … nocht onlie in fuill grossis bot alssua in smallis

e. Of wine: Completely filling the cask. 1580 Edinb. Test. VIII. 163.
Twa tune of wyne vnfillit vp, … half ane tune of wyne vnfillit vp, quhilk being fillit up extendis to sevin puncheounes of full wyne 1625 Ib. LIII. 88 b.

4. At (the) full, completely, fully. c1420 Wynt. ii. 1266.
Fourmyde fayre at full scho wace 15.. Clar. ii. 1647.
The harpis beine sayit at the full To make hearts mirrie

5. Of a ship: With the sails filled. 1549 Compl. 41/20.
Than the master cryit on the rudir man, mait, keip ful and by, a luf