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

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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Tass(e, n.¹ Also: tas, taiss, tasst. [e.m.E. tasses pl. (Caxton), OF tasse.]

1. A drinking cup or goblet, esp. one made of silver.See also tasting-tas(s Tasting vbl. n. 3 b.(a) 1505–6 Treas. Acc. III 184.
For vij cowpes xviij tasses 1 goblatis and tua laweris of glas of sindry pricis 1513 Crim. Trials I i 94.
Tasses 1513 Doug. xiii ix 25.
The cowpys gret and drynkyn tassis fyne 1526 Treas. Acc. V 276.
To by cristallin werris and tassis to the kingis grace 1538 Treas. Acc. VII 36.
For vj tassis of silver ongilt 1549 Compl. 145/13.
The pepil var as reddy to drynk vattir in ther bonet, or in the palmis of ther handis, as in ane glas, or in ane tasse of siluyr 1549 Compl. 147/2.
The kyng presentit ane goldin tasse ful of vyne to the companye at the tabil 1580 Aberd. B. Rec. II 37.
Twa siluer tassis of ten unce weycht the peice 1584 Sempill in Sat. P. xlv Pref. 136.
Concluding this, we toome a tas of wyne 1608 Edinb. Test. XLIV 164b.
The said Mr. James left to … his eldest sone ane mekill how tass with ane cover 1608 Edinb. Test. XLIV 164b.
Ane mekill flat tass 1639 Old Ross-shire I 126.
Tasst a1646 Wedderburn Voc. (1709) 8.
Poculum argenteum, a tass or silver goblet Urquhart Rabelais i li.
Great antick vessels, huge pots … big tasses, cups, goblets [etc.] ?1666 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes 8.
Item one little silver tass pryce 30 s.(b) 1569 Treas. Acc. XII 155.
Tas 1575 Edinb. Test. IV 42.
My litill tas of masar set in siluer to my dochter 1575 Edinb. Test. IV 42.
To my lord Huntlie my siluer tas with the couer 1578 Prot. Bk. J. Scott 57b.
Ane tas of trie with ane siluer fuit 1586 Perth B. Ct. 4 Nov.
He allegis peremptourlie that the samin self tas acclamit wes the said vmquhile Johne Olyphantis awin proper geir 1614 Edinb. Test. XLVIII 86.
Sex silwer spunes by and attour the tas gevin to hir in god bairne gift(c) 1605 Black Bk. Taymouth 343.
xiiii round treen trunscheris with a trein taiss

b. A communion cup. 1605 Ellon Presb. 16.
Tabills for celebratioun of the Lord's Supper, clothes and bassing and tasses for the said use 1644 Ecclesia Antiqua 62.
As much money be taken out of the kist of the council-house as will be twa tassies for the communion

2. A cup for collecting churchgoers' offerings; the offering. 1616 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 83.
That na begger be sufferit to stand in tyme cumming at the kirk doir besyid the tass 1616 Aberd. Eccl. Rec. 84.
Twa s. out of ewrie tass to be gewin ewrie Saboth to Johne Barclay, ringer of the kirk bellis … and na mair to be tackin be him out of anye the [sic] tasses vnder the pane of deprivatioun of him from his office 1618 Elgin Rec. II 155.
Collected be the tass, £3 8 s. 1620 Grant Chart. 324.
Gevin at the college kirk to the tas … iiij s. 1633 Johnston Diary I 48.
Whil I resolved only to haive custen in ane groat, and then ane cardecu, at the last God moved my heart to cast in within the tasse ane 36 schilling peace 1641 Ecclesia Antiqua 169.
Towards the purchase of twa silver tassies for collecting of the offering at the kirk door 1645 Rec. Old Aberd. II 19.
Ordyned that two tasses sould be holden at the kirk doore the an for the kirk fabrick the other for the poore 1649 Rec. Old Aberd. II 37.
The deacons who hold the tasse at the kirk dore to tack hed … howe Elspet Gordone … keepeth the kirk and to report to the sessione