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

Limmar, -er, Lymmar(e, -er, n. Also: limmare, limer, lym(m)ar(e, -air, -er, -ear, lemmar, -er, limb-, lymber. [North. e.m.E. lymer (1566) in sense 2 below. In the mod. dial. Sc. and north. Eng., and chiefly applied to women (as sense 2). Of obscure origin (but derivation f. Lim n. 3 seems possible).Not found in the earliest sources and uncommon in the 15th c., but from the early 16th c. common in a wide variety of sources.]

1. Applied to men, as a term of strong reprobation: A villain, a scoundrel, a wicked rogue.(a) ?1438 Alex. ii. 206.
Ȝon couetous, ȝon skarce lymmar 1456 Hay I. 233/24.
As gif ane unworthy lymmare, that settis nocht for honour bot for pillery, had tane a blynd man, and put him in prisoune c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 501.
Lunatike, lymare, luschbald Id. xiv. 58.
Sic halland schekkaris, quhilk at Cowkelbyis gryce Ar haldin of pryce, quhen lymmaris dois convene 1531 Bell. Boece I. lxiv.
He causit hir to be schamfully defowlit with rebaldis and limmaris of his cuntre Id. Livy I. 91/1.
Quhen the King was behaldin this man maist ernistful, that vthir lymmare rasit his ax Ib. 271/7.
Ane cumpany of clatterand tribunis, seditious lymmaris, sawaris of discorde 1533 Boece Epistle 634 b.
Ane tyran luffis nane bot vane fleschouris, vicious and wickit limmaris a1538 Abell I26 a.
He distroyit [320] … of abais and … send his lymmaris to do the sam in the north 1558-66 Glencairn in Knox I. 75.
But lymmars made therat sic skorne And to his fame maide sic degressioun [etc.] 1559 Misc. Wodrow Soc. 265.
I wes constreinȝit … to oppone my self to this wickit lymmaris heresie 1567 G. Ball. 206.(b) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1076 (Bass.).
‘Byde’, quod the Lyoun, ‘Lymmer [B. Lemmer], let vs seGiff [etc.]’ a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 313. 1531 Bell. Boece II. 239.
Lord Dane, quhilk [name] is now takin for ane idill limmer [M. lymmair] that seikis his leving on othir mennis laubouris 1535 Stewart 31792.
Baith wyffe and barne, lad, lymmer and loun Ib. 51631.
That tyme thair wes … ane freir, Ane lous lymmer wes full of rycht euill layttis a 1568 Sempill Sat. P. xlviii. 32.
Suppois baith laidis and lymmeris leis 1584 Id. Ib. xlv. 3.
The legend of a lymmeris lyfe Our Metropolitane of Fyffe a1605 Montg. Flyt. 813 (T).
Leiand lymmer 1596 Dalr. II. 382/18.
To propone … the deuises of sum limmeris quhilkes the artikelis of thair faith commounlie tha call 1600 Crim. Trials II. 197.
Violet Ruthvene cryand ‘Thevis, lymmeris, tratouris!’ 1600-1610 Melvill 421.
They steir upe and incitats four deboshit young limmers, and wattes that maist notable man 1617 Sutherland Corr. 133.
I lyk nocht the out latting of thir threi lymmeris that brunt my cornis 1638 Bk. Pasquils 40. 1650 Auchterhouse Ann. 121.
She abused me … by … saying that ‘Bee God I leed, limmer’ 1654 Logie Par. Hist. 102.
[One of his parishioners … who had reviled him] by calling him a lowne or a limer c1670 Sempill P. p. lxxiii. 1684 Cullen Kirk S. II. 7 July.
Alexander Kemp declared he heard ‘This limmer this traitor hes brunt our house’(c) c1460 Alex. (Taym.) 3354.
Thay lymmearis (d) 1660 Nicoll Diary 283.
Lambert, that limber, haiffing essayit … to escaip out of the Tour, … was … put in the yrnes

b. Freq. applied, more specifically, to strong-handed malefactors or lawless persons, as Border or Highland freebooters or robbers.Commonly coupled with such expressions as brigand, brokin man, robber, sornar and thefe.(a) c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 330.
He … causit the nobillis till bring sindry lymmaris to his justice 1522 Treas. Acc. V. 206.
Tua lettres direct to the lardis of Farnyhirst and Buccleuch to inbring the lymmaris that tuke and spulȝet the Dene of Hadingtoun 1531 Bell. Boece II. 415.
Not as thay had bene to fecht aganis weir-men bot allanerly as thay wer to punis certane thevis or limmaris of Ingland 1543 Misc. Spald. C. IV. 210.
Gif ony cumpany, catherane, or punȝeoun of lymmaris, risis in the cuntre to mak brek, reif [etc.] 1554 Duncan Laideus Test. 173.
The … armes … Ar fatall signes … Meit for such lymmaris spoilȝeing euerie place 1579 Reg. Privy C. III. 138.
Seing … certane weill knawin and notorious lymmaris and ydell vagaboundis … keipis conventionis heir at Striviling 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III. 66.
Hardlie can anie man walke apoun the streets … bot they ar impeshed be beggarlie lymmaris 1635 Grant Chart. 339.
A nomber of the … brokin lymmars of the Hielandes that of late hes brokin louse c1650 Spalding I. 205.
Johne Dvgar … wes schortlie dischargeit as ane renegat lymmar, bloodschedder, and murtherar(b) 15.. Justiciary Rec. (Reg. H.) I. 154.
Stope no man to be brocht to the kingis majestie that is ane manifest trespassour or a lemmer 1571 Sat. P. xxvi. 21.
Efter that, quhen lymmers loust thair bryde, He faucht for ȝow a1605 Montg. Flyt. 355 (T).
To live with lymmeris and outlawis 1596 Dalr. II. 219/10. 1595 Duncan App. Etym.
Praedo, latro, a limmer, briggand 1600-1610 Melvill 161.
Accompanied … with a sort of limmers and godles suddartes 1614 Highland P. III. 172.
Jhone Dow Mcalaster, the greatest limmer and brokin man in all the north 1625 Garden Kings 3.
No foraigne foe, no home-bred limmer left 1661 Wodrow Hist. I. 142.
For safety of their country goods from robbers and limmers' to keep a watch(c) 1607 Acts IV. 379/2.
That … race and name of the Glengregour notorious lymberis and malefactouris 1624 Edinb. B. Rec. VI. 250.
A nomber of the counterfute theives and lymbers callit Egyptianes

2. Uncommonly, as a term of reprobation applied to women. 1540 Lynd. Sat. 2207 (B).
Gife ony lymmar ȝow demandis Scho will defend ȝow with hir handis And womanly debaitt it 1555 Ayr Chart. 106.
Katherene Wigmoir alias Limmer 1649 Culross 234.
Bessie Mackie, a vile, wicked, godless limmer, to be banished the congregation 1673 Paterson Ayr & Wigt. II. 545.
That he called Marion Reid a drunken limmer

3. Attrib. and comb. (in sense 1). a. Qualifying other abusive expressions of similar meaning. b. = Limmarfull a. c. Robber-, brigand-.a. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvii. 9.
The tailȝeour … Convoyit wes unto the feild, With mony lymmar loun 1540 Lynd. Sat. 649.
Quhair is Dissait, that lymmar loun? a1568 Scott i. 53.
For lymmer lawdis and litle lassis lo Will argun bayth with bischop, preist and freir c1590 Fowler I. 320/23.
[To] crye at dyce, ‘ … Yow lie, fals knave, yow limmar skybell’ 1686 Stuart Joco-Ser. Disc. 15.
She did no frown But leugh and call'd me limmer-lownb. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 152 (M).
Thy lymmair luikc. 1533 Boece xvi. v. 617.
The king … with stark power send the erle of Crawfurde. to persew this lymmare chiftane