A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Culter, Cowter, n. Also: cultyr(e, -tir, -tur, -tar; colt-, coulter; cowtter, cowtir, coutar, cutir, kuter, cuittour. [ME. culter, cultre, colter, etc. (northern e.m.E. kowter), OE. culter.] The coulter of a plough.(a) 1375 Barb. iv. 113.
He tuk a culter hat glowand c1420 Wynt. iii. 80.
Sangare … Slw wytht a cultyre … Sex hundyr men a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 366.
Thow tynt cultur [M. cultyre], I haif cultur and pleuch 1513 Doug. vii. x. 79.
All instrumentis of pleuch graith, … As cultyris, sokkis, and the somys gret Ib. xiii. 40. 1516 Fam. Rose 189.
xxiiij pleuchis, with thar yokkis, cultar, sokkis [etc.] 1535 Stewart 51535.
Ane husband man … Vpoun ane nycht his awin pleuch irnis staw, Baith sok and some, culter and sle-band 1585 Prot. Bk. W. Cumming 75.
Ane ox with plewche and plewche grayth, ane cultyr, sok, ȝokis, sowms, and slebandis 1596 Breadalbane Ct. Bk. 141.
The wrangus breking of the said Malcolmis chalmer with ane culter 1606 Rec. Earld. Orkney 182.
Quhilk judge … ordanis them … to part [the ground] with culter and sok 1624 Misc. Abbotsf. C. 138.
Quhen scho came to the pleuche, scho said hir erand was to lay his culter 1664 Edinb. Test. LXXI. 315.
Tua pleugh socks & culters(b) a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 366 (B).
Thow tynt coulter 1575 Inverness B. Rec. I. 244.
Ane pleucht, colter and sok(c) 1546 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XXI. 69 b.
Ane sok and ane cowter 1567 Bamff Chart. 71.
The pleugh with the yokis, furnesing, cutir, sok and somes 1567 Edinb. Test. I. 39 b.
Ane coutar and ane sokc 1570 Ham. & Campsie Test. I. 32 b.
Ane cuittour, ane mattok1576 Crim. Trials I. 55.
Thom schew hir … that the cowtir and sok wer lyand in his awin hous 1581 Brechin Test. I. 46 b.
Ane kuter and ane sok 1636 Edinb. Test. LVII. 327 b.
Ane plewch with cowtter, sock, missell, drauchtnaill, with ane pair of swingiltreis 1644 Ib. LXI. 2.
Ane sled, ane pleugh, and ane coutar 1662 Crim. Trials III. 603.
A riglen's horne wes a cowter, and an piece of an riglen's horne wes an sok