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 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Blaw, v. Also: blawe, blau, blav; p.t. blew, blewe, bleu; p.p. blawin, -yn, -ine, blawen, blauin, -ing, -en, blawne (blawnne); blaw. [Northern ME. blaw(e, early ME. blawen, OE. bláwan.] To blow, in various senses.

1. Of the wind: a. intr. (Also fig.) 1375 Barb. xv. 278.
For the vynd can stoutly blaw Apon thar bak c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1655.
Wyntir … Richt bustuously blawand and fast c1420 Wynt. vi. 2495.
The wynd swa skant wes than blawand a1500 Rauf C. 16.
The wind blew out of the eist 1513 Doug. i. ii. 23.
[The winds to] go fre at large to blaw out braid Ib. iii. vii. 22.
This fair wynd blawing evyn befor a1540 Freiris Berw. 574.
Fra the wind was blawin twyis in his face 1562-3 Winȝet II. 53/58.
Quhat way the wind blawis 1585 James VI Ess. .
Can our weake breath help Boreas for to blaw 1596 Dalr. I. 55/27.
Out of quhat arte sa euir the wind blawe

b. tr. To carry, force, drive, etc., by blowing. Freq. with advs. and preps. Also intr. = to be blown. c1420 Wynt. ii. 1600.
[Thay] drawe on, as thame blastys blewe 1513 Doug. i. vi. 6.
To quhatkyn costis he with the wynd was blaw Ib. ii. vii. 97.
Lyke as … the fers wyndis … blaw thar bustuus bubbys Ib. iv. ii. 5.
Al the schame and dreid wes blaw away 1531 Bell. Boece II. 52.
Sail, mast, and taikillis wer blawin in the brim seis 1570 Leslie 130.
The haill batellin stanis … wes blawin doun a1570-86 Maitland M. Fol. xiv. 27.
Be nocht blawine with windis of all airtis 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII. 94 b.
Tuelf treis blawne vp be the rute 1612–3 Misc. Spald. C. V. 90.
The thak … being blauin aff 1639 Peebles B. Rec. 420.
To repair the chappell quhich was blauing out wpon Hallowevenintr. 1456 Hay I. 63/20.
He doubtit that his palace suld blaw to the erde 1562-3 Winȝet II. 53/9.
For sum ar quhilkis … aluterlie blawis away

c. In p.p. Finished blowing. Cf. Overblawin p.p. a1570-86 J. Maitland M. Fol. clxxvii. 25.
All boreas bitter blastis ar nocht blawin

d. Denoting the action of bellows or gun-powder. a1400 Leg. S. xlix. 79.
Vith bellyse thai blew the fyre 1566 Crim. Trials I. i. 479.
He being in his bed … wes blawine in the air a1578 Pitsc. II. 191/29.
Thir tratouris had put certane barrellis of poulder vnder the wallis of his ludging and blew it all in the air a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 258.
Na blud in me remaines Vnbrunt … , be luffis bellies blawin 1623 Orkney Bp. Ct. 48 b.
Efter finding the chist broken or blawen vp

2. intr. To send out breath; to breathe hard; to break wind. Also of the breath.(1) a1400 Leg. S. xxxiv. 270.
Scho … bleu one hyme 1513 Doug. iii. viii. 144.
Quhen he lyst gant or blaw Ib. v. xii. 136.
I feil the ayndyng of his horsys blaw Ib. xii. xii. 234.
Thai pant and blaw 1551 Hamilton Cat. 189.
First he blawis apon the barne 1562-3 Winȝet I. 104/1.
He blew in thame, sayand, Resaue the Haly Gaist 1596 Dalr. I. 29/25.
Quhateuir thing … the air of thair mouthis had blawne vpon(2) c1420 Wynt. v. 530.
Quhen men suld blawe c1500 Crying of Play 66.
In Irland quhen scho blewe behynd

b. tr. To send out from the lungs. Also fig. a1400 Leg. S. iv. 341.
A fel dragon … Blawand fel fyre one tham Ib. xxxiii. 69.
Thane wald he oure the wallis blau His fellon aynd 1549 Compl. 38.
That samyn sound as thay beystis hed blauenfig. 1513 Doug. ix. x. 76.
Herand … sik dispyt blawin owt apon hys syde 1562-3 Winȝet I. 116/8.
Quhy … will [ȝe] nocht blaw out ȝour indignatioun vpone the martyris 1596 Dalr. II. 43/3.
Catharin Douglas … seis thir cutthrotis blaw nothing out of all thair senses bot furie

c. To utter arrogantly. 1375 Barb. iv. 122.
The gret bost that it [sc. pride] blawis a1500 Rauf C. 369.
Thow … greit bost blew a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 25.
Quhome on blawes thow thy boist 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 80.
Bost gret brag blawis 1535 Stewart 46216.
For the greit bost that ȝe haif blawin now 1560 Rolland Seven S. 202/36.
Thy boist thow blawis on breid sall not saif thee

d. intr. To speak boastfully or violently. 1569-73 Bann. Memor. 85.
The captane of the Castle … nurished in grit esperance, or elis vaine boasting, blew fourth of the roche 1610 Bk. Pasquils 10.
The preachers … blew against the Bishops lang

3. intr. To sound a horn, trumpet, etc. Also of the instrument: To sound.(1) 1375 Barb. iii. 484.
Quhen he hard sa blaw and cry a1400 Leg. S. xl. 903.
Jak … trumpit heily … & with al mycht bettir blew 1456 Hay I. 14/2.
The secound angel blewe in his beme a1500 Colk. Sow i. 292.
All the menstralis attonis Blew up and playit c1500-c1512 Dunb. lxxvii. 23.
The sound of menstrallis blawing to the sky 1581 Sat. P. xliv. 140.
Chrysteson, ȝour trumpetour, blauis loud and hie a1598 Fergusson Prov. 44.
He that blaws best bears away the horne(2) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 908.
Quhen he hard his trumpat blaw a1500 Henr. Fab. 831.
Thair he harde ane buisteous bugill blaw c1475 Wall. v. 180.
So hard thai blaw rude hornys wpon hycht 1535 Stewart 25544.
All the trumpettis blawand vp in tune a1500 Peblis to Play 45.
The bag pyp blew and thai out threw 1573 Sat. P. xli. 93.
That bogill [= bugle] thair that ȝe hard blaw

b. To blaw out on, to denounce (a person) formally by or after blowing a horn to attract public attention. Also fig. 14.. Acts I. 344/2.
At the partyng of ilk air, the justice sall at the merket cros gare blav out on him thris with a blawing horne, and tharefter say [etc.] 1438 Acts II. 32/1; 1449 Ib. 34/2.
Geyff the spoulȝheouris or the resettouris dissobeyis to the schirray … the schirra sall blaw out on thaim and put thaim to the kyngis horne as rebellouris c1475 Wall. viii. 724.
He … blew out on that fals king, As a tyrand c1515 Asl. MS. I. 218/8.
In the hender end of the quhilk counsall thai blewe out on schir Willam of Crechtoun and schir George of Crichtoun & thare aduertence c1500-c1512 Dunb. xlii. 96.
Fals Invy … Blew out on Luvis presoneir 15.. Berdok 29.
The king of fary, hir fader, than blew out, And socht Berdok all the land abowt

4. tr. To sound (a horn, etc.) by blowing. Also, to sound (a retreat, etc.) in this way.(1) 1375 Barb. xix. 579.
He blew his horne for to rely His men c1420 Wynt. viii. 5719.
Ane syn blewe a horne in hy 1456 Hay I. 10/33.
The quhilk trompit wele quhen he blewe his beme Ib. 50/11.
He … gert blaw up his trumpis a1500 Seven S. 2520.
Thai blewe organis & rang the bellis c1515 Asl. MS. I. 241/13.
Sir James of Douglas … blew out xxiiij hornis attanis apon the king c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 230.
God Eolus his bugill blew 1533 Gau 70/35.
To blaw the trumpait of God a1500 Peblis to Play 194.
Blaw vp the bagpyp than 1549 Compl. 42/24.
Hirdis blauuand ther buc hornis and ther cornepipis 1562-3 Winȝet II. 9/17.
That the trompet of ȝour fame … is blawin loud 1581 Sat. P. xliv. 81.
Efter that Sathan his horne begoud to blau 1597 Skene Verb. S. s.v. Menetum.
To blaw ane stock horne(2) 1375 Barb. xvii. 471.
Qwhen thai had blawen the ratret a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 534.
The brym blast that he blew 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 454.
To Schir Johne Musgraves man that blew the hunting to the King 1533 Boece iv. xvii. 156 b.
The king causit blaw the retrete 1540 Lynd. Sat. 5623.
Menstrall, blaw vp ane brawll of France

5. To spread by rumour; to make widely known. Usu. with on breid, abrode, or out. c1500-c1512 Dunb. Flyt. 69.
Throw all Bretane it salbe blawin owt, How [etc.] Id. Tua Mar. W. 74.
To … blaw my bewtie on breid 1513 Doug. iv. Prol. 175.
[To] rehers and blaw on breid ȝour awyn diffame Ib. Excl. 17.
All that thai fynd … , Thai blaw out, sayand [etc.] 1531 Bell. Boece II. 369.
Quhen the fame of his … vassalage was blawin throw the realme 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 521.
The fame thairof wes in sic sort blawin abrede 1570 Sat. P. xx. 15.
Thair bruit is blawn Abrode baith day and nycht 1626 Garden Worthies 136.
Which makes thé so be through all Brittane blawne

6. a. To help to burn by blowing. a1400 Leg. S. xxxii. 173.
I sal … blaw sa gud a coule hire til That scho sal do quhat thu wil

b. To inflate, puff up, cause to swell (spec. of meat so treated); to fill by blowing.(1) c1450-2 Howlat 916.
In breth as a batall wricht full of bost blawin 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 37.
His hed bendis … all war blaw Ful of vennom 1570 Sat. P. xxiv. 88.
As ane bledder blawin 1596 Dalr. II. 80/28.
The Erle … with his wordes [is] blawin vp as with a bellis(2) 1526 Stirling B. Rec. I. 27.
That na muttoun that ar saild within the said burgh be blawin 1540 Lynd. Sat. 4113.
Thocht thay blaw leane mutton and beife c1575 Balfour Pract. 579.
Challenge of Fleshouris … That thay blaw the flesh, and cause it seme fat and fair 1553 Elgin Rec. I. 121.
Gif ony flessour blawis fles the samyn to be escheit 1572 Peebles B. Rec. 350.
That na flesche be blawin, vnder the panis contenit in the act of parliament 1618 Stirling B. Rec. I. 151.
All sic flesche as salbe fund sa blawin or broddett

c. To smelt or found (metal). c1515 Asl. MS. I. 315.
In thire dayis Chore & his seid blewe ane goldin calf