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 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Hicht, n.¹ Also: hichte, hichtt, hycht, hight, hyght. Also pl. hittis. [ME. (chiefly north.) hiȝt hight (a 1300), var. of heȝt Hecht n.¹ Cf. also Heicht.]

1. Altitude; stature; the quality of being high. Also fig.(1) a1400 Leg. S. x. 137.
To gere a toure say he be mad That the hicht of it suld … rek to the hewyne Ib. xxxiii. 67.
He entre mycht nocht For gret strinth and hicht of wal c1420 Wynt. i. 877.
A towre of huge hycht 1456 Hay I. 37/25.
[The city] had the wallis of hicht of fifty cubitis c1475 Wall. x. 879.
Thar schip hy owris a burd was mar off hycht 1531 Bell. Boece I. p. xxix.
Ane stane … xxx fut of hicht 1549 Compl. 20/30.
At this tyme ane fut of hicht of the vallis can nocht be sene 1596 Dalr. I. 26/13.
In compase it conteines fyve stages, and ane In hichte(2) a1578 Pitsc. I. 336/8.
Ane greit round … quhilk was loftit and iestit the space of thrie house hight 1610 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 312.
Swa that the same [well] be bigit five quarter hicht above the ground 1614 Black Bk. Taymouth 44.
The auld laich hall … bot ane hous hight, … it wes reedifiet … to tua hous hicht 1616 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 141.
A strong wardhous of fyve woutt hycht(3) a1400 Leg. S. xix. 30.
Twelf cubitis he had of hicht 1513 Doug. iii. x. 31.
Nor the deip sey … , for all hys hycht, Ne mycht he waid Ib. xiii. viii. 14.
Hys byg statur and hycht c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1660.
Ten cubitis large he wes of hycht, Proportionat, in lenth and breid, Afferand to his hycht 1604 Crim. Trials II. 434.
He wes hangit his awin hicht aboue the rest of hes freindis

b. Of hicht, of great height, high. (As a verse-tag.) c1420 Wynt. i. 837.
Aracus, ane hyll of hycht a1500 Henr. Fab. 911.
Scho haikit vnto that hill of hicht a1500 Bk. Chess 1946.
A towr … Off hicht and strenth 1560 Rolland Seven S. 4952.
In the middis of that samin towre of hicht

2. Elevation (lit. and fig.). Fra hicht, from high above. a1400 Leg. S. xiii. Prol. 80.
The erne … Quhene he is flowyne to mast hicht c1420 Wynt. viii. 5596.
A stane, That come fra hycht, has hym oure-tane ?1438 Alex. ii. 472.
The craggis … had ane archearis schot on hicht c1460 Wisd. Sol. 690.
Thare is na wyt … that may knaw the hicht and the depnes of it [sc. wisdom] c1515 Asl. MS. I. 327/27.
The hicht, the depnes, the lenth and the breid, of haly scripture a1605 Montg. Flyt. 439 (T).
Be the hicht of the heavin, and lawnes of hell

b. On (apon) hicht (also in hicht), on high, aloft, to or at a height. Also fig.In poetry sometimes merely a rhyme-tag.(1) 1375 Barb. xiii. 637.
This mychty kyng … Scho [Fortune] had set on her quheill on hicht a1400 Leg. S. i. 574.
He … saw the tyrand fle in hycht Ib. ii. 89.
A man clymit on hycht To her hym c1420 Wynt. iv. 756.
That yhe … drawis youe to yhone hill on hicht a1500 Rauf C. 37.
Amang thay moutanis on hicht Ib. 686.
Greit squechonis on hicht a1500 Bk. Chess 2022.
The sydis of this chekker set on hicht Sall represent the tovnis wallis wicht 1513 Doug. v. viii. 47.
Entellus … hevis on hycht Hys rycht hand Ib. xi. vii. 14.
The Kyng thus carpys from hys trone on hycht 1531 Bell. Boece I. 75.
The egill, quhilk is the ansenye of Romanis, prowdly displayit on hicht a1540 Freiris Berw. 15.
The portcules, … Quhen that thame list to draw thame vpoun hicht 1567 G. Ball. 21.
To God on hicht be louing maist a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 221.
With flicht than, on hicht than Sprang Cupid In the skyis(2) fig. c1420 Wynt. v. 2593.
Quha that wyll draw hym on hycht, Lawch downe behowys hym for to lycht 1570 Sat. P. xxii. 10.
To heis on hicht pure pesantis … , From base estait to throne imperiall(3) c1420 Ratis R. 793.
Gret joy that hapnis sudandly To steir the spreitis hie on hycht c1500 Crying of Play 152.
With all … merynes ȝour hartis [to] hald euer on hycht a1570-86 Maitl. F. xxxv. 64.
His hairt was hie on hicht

c. At hicht, at the height of greatness, dignity, etc. 1375 Barb. xiii. 713.
Kyng Robert now wes weill at hycht, For ilk day than grew mair his mycht 1456 Hay I. 290/29.
That he … sall halde thair worschip and estate at outhe and at hicht c1450-2 Howlat 898.
Thus was the howlat in herde herely at hicht

3. The highest point; the top or summit.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiii. 939.
[They] set thare ledderis til the wal; Bot hardy wes nane … A ledyr [to] set to the hicht c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1665.
Wyntir … frome hicht of the sumiteis Descendand amongis the waleis 1446 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 245.
A lonyng … extendand to the hicht of the hill c1475 Wall. viii. 1601.
A hous he foundyt … ; Men left he thar till bygg it to the hycht a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 926.
On the hight of the hard steill he hyt hym in hy 1513 Doug. ii. vi. 20.
On a pynnakill of sum cragis hycht Ib. viii. 37.
Tharat I enterit and to the wallys hyght Vpwent Ib. vi. i. 20.
Of Chalcydonys apon the castell hicht 1531 Bell. Boece II. 330.
Thocht the pepill pas to the hicht of the hous Id. Livy II. 222/29.
He dang doun the Gaule that wes clummyn to the hicht of the Capitoll 1534 Banff Chart. 65.
Assendand up to the pictour of ane mans heid at the hycht of the croce c 1571 Antiq. Aberd. & B. II. 396.
Fra the first pot lineallie to the hight and bounds of the said Rashelaw 1594 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 529.
The cok on the hicht of the stepill 1598 Reg. Privy C. V. 459.
Thay … straik him upon the hicht of his heid(2) 1533 Boece iv. xii. 144 b.
Agricola contempling the nature of the roche and on hicht thareof the ald castell 1557 Inverness B. Rec. I. ii.
Saiand … scho wes yet with the dewyllis kap on hyr hed on hycht of the Kirk of Elgyn

b. The zenith. c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 206 b.
The sone … againe his cours vpvart he takis Vnto the crabe that standis in the hicht a1500 Doug. K. Hart 763.
The sone was at the hicht and dounwarde hyis a1585 Maitl. Q. xlix. 1.
As Phoebus in his spheris hicht

c. The height; the midst, or the busiest time. a1500 Rauf C. 494.
Thow … haldis me heir, Quhill half the haill day may the hicht haue 1540 Irvine Mun. I. 45.
The tyme of the hicht of the mercat c1650 Spalding II. 273.
Being in the hight of harvest

4. A high place, a hill- or mountain-top. 1375 Barb. xix. 318.
The daill wes strekit weill, … on athir syde thar wes ane hicht c1420 Wynt. iv. 337.
Thare he schawid hym, on ane hycht, Hys ost arayand Ib. viii. 2491.
To sek bath holme and hycht Thai men to get 1461 Charter (Reg. H.) No. 263.
To be haldyn … the forsaide landys … in … hychtis, playnis, wais, rodis [etc.] c1475 Wall. x. 999.
Baith hycht and waill obeyed all till his will 1518 Sutherland Chart. 70.
The vii dawchis in the hycht of Straithflet 1535 Stewart 24562.
Doun fra the hicht [he] discendit in the vaill 1548 Treas. Acc. IX. 203.
To caus mak balis upoun all hychtis 1549 Banff Ann. I. 27.
The haill guddis of the tovne to be keippitt be the comone herd in the pastur of the said tovne, and thairefter the haill guddis to be brot. be the comone herd to the said craigis and feid thairintill anis of the day, and the remanent of the day to pass to the hittis and swa furth ilk monat to the corne be in the ȝard 1596 Dalr. II. 299/15.
Angus … set vpon the Inglis bairdet horse, … this was aff the hichtes 1669 Burnett Fam. P. MS.
To be halden … in howsis, biggingis, hightis, plaines [etc.]

b. The high ground, the Highlands. 1375 Barb. v. 183.
He oft ryot to the land … And syne he drew him to the hicht Ib. x. 52.
Thai had ilkane The hicht abovyn thair fayis tane c1420 Wynt. iv. 468.
The Cytykys than that in the hicht Had byddyn c1475 Wall. vii. 619.
Quhill tithandis come him till Out off the hycht, quhar gud men was forlorn 1549 Compl. 6/21.
Ane … infinit nummir of men of veyr … discendit fra the hicht of Germanye

5. The regions above, the sky. c1420 Wynt. iv. 2599.
The Empryoure syne till the hycht Scho gert behald 1461 Liber Plusc. I. 382.
All the ayre that in the hycht above is a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 248.
Quhen thai herd the woce cry fra the hicht, Thai fell on growfe 1513 Doug. v. iv. 98.
[The dove], scherand the lownyt ayr, Down from the hycht discendis

6. fig. A high, or the highest, point or degree (of something non-material). 1375 Barb. ix. 508.
He wes set Into the hicht of cheuelry c1420 Wynt. v. 3696.
For all the hycht off oure honowre 1456 Hay II. 101/19.
Somer … all thing with his hete nurisis quhill it cum to the hicht a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 938.
The ground and hicht of werry perfectioun … ar fundyn in Cristis passioun c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxv. 16.
Full mony ane man I [sc. Fortune] turne vnto the hicht 1628 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 291.
Whois presumptioun … is come to that hyght that thay [etc.] 1611-57 Mure Misc. P. viii. 3.
Fair goddes … , my hopes full hight

7. Exalted rank or worth, dignity, greatness, honour.Common In Barbour and Wyntoun. Uncommon in prose. 1375 Barb. i. 77.
Thir twa that I tauld of ar, Quhilk suld succeid to sic a hycht Ib. 608.
God of mycht Preserwyt him till hyer hycht c1420 Wynt. i. 478.
Off thir come men of mekyll mycht, Tyll statys growande and tyll hycht Ib. iv. xxi (W).
The autour heire devisis rycht The natur of gentrice and hycht 1456 Hay I. 11/36.
The cristyn faith grewe in sic hicht, honoure and worschip a1500 Doug. K. Hart 711.
Honour … , He is the man micht bring ws all to hicht 1531 Bell. Boece II. 383.
Thair hicht and gret pissance, baith in manrent and landis 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 73.
Quho clymmis to hycht, perforce his feit mon faill c1590 Fowler II. 55/18.
Men set a loft and in honourable hicht

8. Haughtiness, pride, arrogance. c1450-2 Howlat 966.
Thus for my hicht I am hurt a1508 Kennedy Pass. Christ 881.
Throu hicht and prid thai trow the hevin to clyme 1533 Bell. Livy I. 294/13.
Thai war instruckit with sa pridefull consel, that thai couth nocht dissimill thare hicht 1535 Stewart 5029.
Thair hicht and thair presumptione Within schort quhile wald put all Britan doune a1540 Freiris Berw. 82.
Scho to thame gaif answer with grit hicht 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 23.
Sen ȝe can nowther bow thair obstinat hicht with pacience [etc.] 1596 Dalr. II. 63/22.
This man … of hicht and pryde contemned al creature

9. On (or upon) hicht, aloud, loudly. 1375 Barb. xvi. 407.
Cryand on hicht, ‘Douglas, Douglas’ a1400 Leg. S. vii. 179.
James answert apon hycht c1475 Wall. v. 180.
So hard thai blaw rude hornys wpon hycht c1500-c1512 Dunb. x. 34.
Celestiall fowlis … , Sing with your nottis vpoun hicht 1513 Doug. ii. xii. 18.
That I durst … cry fast throw the stretis on hycht … ‘Crevsa! Crevsa!’ Id. Exclam. 44.
Now salt thou … to onletterit folk be red on hycht 1535 Stewart 48392.
Loud vpoun hicht vpone him he did caw Id. Bann. MS. 140 a/3.
Ȝone ar sowttaris be sicht, With hiddous hoist vpoun hicht c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 447.
Heraldis cryit hie on hicht, ‘Now let thame go’ Ib. 485.

b. To set on hicht, to set forth, declare. c1500 Fyve Bestes 332.
Than spak this clerk & set his word on hicht 1556 Lauder Off. Kings 207.
Sett ȝe nocht furth Godds wourd on hycht And mak it cum vnto the lycht