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 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Dere, Deir, n.¹ Also: der, deyr, deire, diere. [ME. dere, diere, deer(e, early der, OE. déor.]

1. Deer collectively, or as a general term.(a) 1375 Barb. vii. 797 (E).
He … went weyle oft to hunt and play, For to purches thaim venesoun, For than der war in sesoun a1400 Leg. S. xxix. 89.
He … fand a gret herd of dere, & presit to nycht thame nere c1400 Troy-bk. i. 248.
For thai woddys warnyst were In-to haboundance of wylde dere c1420 Wynt. i. 714.
Thar sum folk bot a fute has, And yhit for sped the dere our-tays Ib. viii. 5567.
Off dere there wes than swilk foysown, That thai wald nere cum to the town c1475 Wall. viii. 947.
Wyld der thai slew, for othir bestis was nayn; Thir wermen tuk off venysoune gud wayn 1474 Acts II. 107/2.
That na man hwnt, schut, nor sla dere nor rais in wtheris closis nor parkis 1515 Montgomery Mem. 84.
For the waisting and distroying of the said ile, dere and cunyngis being thairin 1533 Boece ii. v. 64.
To haue houndis … with men to ceirs and chais the dere 1550 Reg. Privy C. I. 95.
That nane … tak upoun hand to schut with halff haige or … pistolate, at dere, ra, nor vyld foulis, for manis mete(b) Brus vii. 497 (C).
For than the deir war in sesoun 1504 Treas. Acc. II. 424.
To the man that woke the fald all ȝeir quhair the deir wes tane 1508 Reg. Privy S. I. 241/2.
For ȝour lawbouris and deligence to be done in the keping of the saidis forestis and deyr thairof 1513 Doug. vii. Prol. 68.
The deyr full dern doun in the dalis drew 1535 Stewart 16861.
This Carthlyntus … ane greit hunting hes set, … With greit doggis for slauchter of the deir 1567 Sat. P. iii. 45.
With hundis hunt he couth baith da and deir 1578 Reg. Privy C. III. 20.
Not onelie is the gerse thairof eittin … quhairon his Hienes deir sould have levit the winter seasoun, bot als the same deir ar skatterit and chacit away 1596 Dalr. I. 43/32.
Suthirland … is verie conuenient to the feiding of cattel and of wilde deir c 1605 Elphinstone Chart. 146.
To the effect it [the forest] may of new be parkeit, hayneid and plenisched with deire and raes 1620 Grant Chart. 320.
Gif it sall happin the said Alexander … to be … convict … for schuitting at deir or rae

2. A single animal of the deer kind. c1420 Wynt. i. 202.
A chyld bade hym he sulde draw nere, Quhare that he sayde he sawe a dere Ib. 736.
Thare serpentys ar sa gret but were, At thai wyll suelly wpe a dere 1531 Bell. Boece I. 39.
Quhais dog first bait the deir, suld have the hide thairof a1578 Pitsc. I. 324/7.
The king passit to the park at Falkland thair to haue houndit ane deir 1665 Lauder Journal 122.
Noblemens incloseurs wheir would be 2 or 300 dears

3. Attrib. and comb. with buk, dog, dyke, fald; cullorit, hunting. 1446 Reg. Episc. Aberd. I. 245.
A lonyng … extendand to the hicht of the hill at the south ende of the der dyke 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 171.
For bigging of the deir fald in Faukland 1541 Ib. vii. 472.
For thre pair of grete dog irnes for deir doggis 15.. Clar. iv. 1791.
Pleis ȝe for to have slaine ȝone faire deir buke 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10301.
Sum vther dayis with grew houndis deir hunting 1633 Edinb. Test. LVI. 198.
Ane clok of deir cullorit cloth