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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Plesand, -ant, ppl. a. Also: pleis(s)-, pleys(s)-; pleas(s)-; plais-, plays-; pless- and -ande, -aund, -aunt, -end, -ent; plesan-. [Partly pres. p. of Ples(e v. (cf. Plesing(e ppl. a.), partly ME. plesant (Gower), e.m.E. playsaunt (Caxton), OF. plais-, pleisant (12th c.), properly pres. p. of plaisir Ples(e v.]

1. Plesand to, also till, oneto (a person, or one of his senses, faculties, etc.): That gives pleasure or satisfaction to.Chiefly pred.Cf. Ples(e v., of which this was prob. at first the pres. p.pred. (1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv. 85.
For ȝone hyr [= whore] … enhornis hyr … to be to men ma … plesande c1420 Wynt. vi. 1632.
A presend That scho trowyd till hym plesand Ib. vii. 3386. c1475 Wall. viii. 937.
Plesand war it till ony creatur [etc.] 1490 Irland Mir. I. 164/28.
My langage … wil be plesand to thame that lufis Jhesus Ib. II. 115/34.
Plesaund 1494 Loutfut MS. 26 b.
[The peacock] schew him … to be plesand til his wif 1516 Douglas Corr. 14.
Plesaunt 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 99.
This blyssit bird wes to me so plesande [etc.] 1551 Hamilton Cat. 3. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 38.
And othir superstitionis plesand to the religioun of thay dayis a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxix. 45.
The plane hie path is maist plesand to me 1588 Aberd. Council Lett. I. 38.
Albeit the mener of sic [occurrences] wes nowayis very plesand to us nor yow 1596 Dalr. I. 289/1.
For the cleir cloudis to the dulfull was pleisant and to the trublesum happie(2) 1375 Barb. i. 10.
And suth thyngis that ar likand Tyll mannys heryng ar plesand ?1438 Alex. ii. 1938.
Ane iouell … That to ȝour sicht is richt plesand c1420 Wynt. ii. Prol. 26. 1456 Hay II. 122/5.
That is … plesand to thy saule a1500 Henr. Fab. 4 (Makc.).
Thar polit termys … Ar rycht plesand one to the eyr of man 1567 G. Ball. 128.
Ane sacrifice to thé plesand Is ane sweit humill hart 1549 Compl. 35/5.
Be cause thai ar pleisand tyl oure fragil nature a1568 Scott xxix. .
Ladeis be war that plesand ar To menis appetyteattrib. a1400 Leg. S. x. 333.
Gud spousale is plesand thinge To God

b. Pleasing, in sense 6 of Ples(e v.; giving satisfaction (to a person) by paying or handing over something. 1538 Breadalbane Coll. No. 48.
And als the saidis Johne salbe pleissand to the said Archibald in hors, hunde or ony vtheris resonabill gift at the said Archibald requiris

2. Capable of giving pleasure to the mind, feelings or senses; agreeable, pleasing, pleasant.Chiefly attrib.For further examples, see Preclare a. 2 e, with which this is freq. coupled.

attrib. a. Of the external appearance of a person, etc.Sometimes appar. with the implication that it applies also to his nature. Cf. 3 below.(1) c1420 Wynt. vii. 1151.
He wes … A fayre swete plesand chyld c1450-2 Howlat 81 (A).
The plesant pacok precious & pure c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 3705.
Sa saw thai Alexander … with ane full plesand menȝhe a1500 Rauf C. 624.
Amang the proudest in preis, plesand in pane 1492 Myll Spect. 288/27.
This quene was sa lecherus that scho desyrit of euery plesant man to haif assay 1494 Loutfut MS. 26 a.
Plessand c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxxvii. 33. 1566-70 Buch. Comm. on Virgil Georgics ii. 6.
Pleasant, iucundus aspectu 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 125/1.
Pleasande 1686 Wodrow Hist. (1828) IV. 520.
Your own sons are very pleasant healthy strong children(2) 1375 Barb. x. 285 (E).
With braid wesage plesand & fayr a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 227.
Scho rase with contenance plesand & wysage clere a1500 Colk. Sow ii. 82. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 2831.
Sche was so plesand a figur 1513 Doug. ii. v. 67.
Quhat hard myschance fylyt so thi plesand face? Ib. xii. Prol. 162.
The pantyt povn … Kest vp his taill, a provd plesand quheill rym 1533 Boece viii. xiii. 280.
Ane devil succuby of maist plesand … forme 1549 Compl. 11/35.
Ande sche that hed plesand handis hed nocht pleysand een a1568 Bann. Bann. MS. 230 b/18.
My lady bricht Quhois plesant hals is quhytter than the evir c1590 Fowler I. 139/12. a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xviii. 26.
A gentle girking gay Of plesand plume

b. Of the human environment. c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1658.
Wyntir … was cummand … , the plesand air Puttand away frome all brichtnes c1420 Wynt. vii. 932.
Illumynyd he hys land Wyth … abbays rycht plesand c1450-2 Howlat 668 (Asl.).
Thai … Past till a palace of pryce plesand allane c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 525.
A plesand arber ? 15.. Dunb. To London 26.
Pleasaunt c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus ii. 845. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1002.
This woman … Gart me eit of ȝone plesand tre 1570 Leslie 153.
Sayled with pleasand windis and prosperous vayage 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 7.
This hous … had plesand gardines to it 1596 Dalr. I. 57/28.
Leuiss [has] … gude garse and plesand pastural 1633 Aberd. B. Rec. III. 62.
A pleasant and magnifick edifice 1666 Lauder Jrnl. 136.
A plaisant country house called the Fountaines 1682 Irvine Nomenclatura 4.
Air … hath pleasant fields or links about it

c. Of words, sounds, etc. Also transf. c1420 Wynt. ix. 134 (C).
The bischope … Mad the collacion richt pleyssande And to the mater accordande a1500 Henr. Fab. 601 (Bann.).
Flatteraris with plesand wirdis quhite 1490 Irland Mir. I. 27/36.
This haly and plesand wourd ‘Noster’ 15.. Dunb. App. iv. 2.
Faine wald I … Ane sang mak, plesand of sentence 1513 Doug. i. vii. 83.
Thir plesand fenȝeit ymagery 1533 Boece iv. xvi. 152 b. 1535 Stewart 13479.
The plesand sound … Of trumpet, talburne 1567 G. Ball. 93.
Sing sum new pleasand perfite ballat 1573 Davidson Sat. P. xlii. 1001.
Perchance sum poet will … put it in mair plesand ryme 1598 James VI Basil. Doron 168/8.transf. c1515 Kennedy Asl. MS. II. 273/29.
Plesand pennis … Couth nocht discryve thi honouris infinit c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxvi. ii.
The plesand toungis with hartis unplane c1590 Fowler I. 181 xli. 5.
The playsant singing birds my plaints expones

d. Of various other things, material and nonmaterial.(1) 1456 Hay II. 144/12.
And drink of a fyne small plesand wyne c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 80.
With jowellis of al fynest mettallis of allfassons, plesand with precious stanis a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 423.
Thy plesand lawn pinnit with goldin prene c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 138.
With girdill of gold … And dicht dager rycht plesand and perfite(2) c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 483.
It is a suet sycht and a plesand to se the sone in the hevyne 1461 Liber Plusc. 383.
God of nature … Heil neuir this erde more with plesand coloure c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 80.
The first plesand moneth 1513 Doug. i. iv. 18.
A wod … Castis a plesand schaddow our the clewis 1537 Lynd. Depl. Magd. 90.
Lyke ane storme efter ane plesand morrow 1611-57 Mure Early Miscellaneous Poems ii. 96.
Content I am … My spring be toylsumewith a pleasent herwest(3) c1420 Wynt. iii. Prol. 28.
To dyt … in plesand conveniens c1460 Dietary 67.
Betuix malys drink nocht for na plesand delit c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 207.
Hed I that plesand prevelege to part quhen me likit [etc.] 1513 Doug. i. x. 29.
Bot to quhat fyne … Sall turn this plesand gestnyng Ib. xiii. x. 98. 1531 Bell. Boece I. 2.
This plesand victory generit … invy 1549 Compl. 153/24.
The subtil discymilit pleisant interpretatione of Cresus vordis c1500-50 Brevis Cronica 331.
Makbeth did mony plesand actis … under cullour of justice c1552 Lynd. Mon. 443.
Adam … loste that heuinlye plesand lyfe 1572 Buch. Detect. (1727) 138.
Ane far plesander subject to discourse upon 1619 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 83.
Scho … haid the pleasantest going out of this wordle that ever any body haid

e. pred.Const., without compl.; also in or of a quality, or infin. verb compl.(1) c1420 Wynt. vii. 619.
He weddyt … Willamys dochtyr, scho wes plesand 1456 Hay I. 86/2.
Sen it [to live] is mare delytable and plesand it suld erar be chosyn 1490 Irland Mir. I. 163/13.
His luking, his ganginge and all his hevingis ware … plesand 1549 Compl. 99/6.
The … passage vas plane and plesand be the see syde a1578 Pitsc. II. 15 heading.
Pleasandest a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 670.
Houpe of rewarde causes paine to seme pleasand(b) a1570-86 Maitl. F. lxxx. 14.
Ane clout Quhilk is nocht pleysand for my prow(c) 1531 Bell. Boece I. ii.
This opinion is plesant war nocht the dait of yeris is descordant to the history 1563-72 Ferg. Tracts 73.
Thocht I be als plane as plesant … to … vtter that quhilk vther men thinkis a1578 Pitsc. I. 200/4.
Because he thocht it maist pleasentest duelling thair(d) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Prol. to the Romans 12.
The mare it is schawin the plesaner it is(e) 1588 King Cat. 15 b.
Giue nothinge be iugit mair sueit and plaisant thane this lyfe(2) a1400 Leg. S. xxx. 78.
Ȝet schupe he hyme … to be The mare plesand in al degre c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 659.
He was sa plesand in affere c1475 Wall. vi. 786.
He was … Plesand and wis in all gud gouernall a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. xxxv. 77.
A ladye bricht, Plesand in bed 1596 Dalr. I. 48/17.
Strathbolgie … and the Gareoth … ar thay verie plesant in pastural — c1420 Wynt. viii. 1523.
Scho wes rycht plesand off bewte 1549 Compl. 11/33, 34.
Sche that vas pleysand of hyr face vas nocht pleysand of hyr hayr(3) c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 143.
The party was so plesand for to sene 1513 Doug. i. ix. 17.
Hys crysp harys war plesand on to se 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1464. 1626 E. Loth. Antiq. Soc. II. 9.
Thy voltis plesand ar to sie(4) c1420 Wynt. vi. 472 (W).
A burges dochter … Off lyre plesand c1450-2 Howlat 901 (A).
His lykame … So propir plesand of prent provde to repare 1535 Stewart 55875.
Ane fair ȝoung man … plesand of hyde and hew 1560 Rolland Seven S. 551.
Ane mayd … plesand of visage

3. Applied to a person, with reference to his behaviour only: Having a pleasing demeanour or personality.Also transf. c1420 Wynt. ix. 2226.
Oure lord, oure prynce, in all plesand c1460 Alex. (Taym.) (ed.) 865.
Mair plesand prince na blyth mycht no man se c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxiii. 19.
Schir ȝe haue mony servitouris … all at anis lawboring Quhilk pleisand ar and honorable And to ȝour hienes profitable 1533 Boece vi. i. 184 b.
He schew him humane plesand and laulie in presence a1550 Ave Gloriosa 68. 1600-1610 Melvill 698.
We could neither be pleisaunt ghaistis, nethir they pleisand hostistransf. a1578 Pitsc. II. 58/6.
The humble patient and maist plessant ansueris of Mr. George [Wishart] Ib. I. 102/31.
Pleassant

4. Grateful.? Erron. rendering of L. gratus (= (1) pleasing, (2) thankful). 1533 Bell. Livy I. 146/19.
The ciete was richt plesand to Cocles for his excellent vertew