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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SUBSET, v., n. Also -sett. [′sʌb′sɛt]

I. v. tr. and absol. To let what one already occupies on lease, to sublet. Hence adj. subsettable, capable of being sublet, with permission to sublet; vbl.n. subsetting.Sc. 1700 Morison Decisions 1821:
Salton having set his lands of Over and Nether Bogheads to one Fraser, he subsets one of these rooms to James Club.Abd. 1741 Rec. Old Abd. (S.C.) I. 187:
No proprietors or possessor of houses within this City shall lett or subsett houses.Edb. 1762 Session Papers, Petition T. Weir (13 July) 5:
The house had been set by Mr Thomson to Mrs Japp, and subset to the Petitioners.m.Lth. 1793 G. Robertson Agric. M. Lth. 20:
It is usual to debar the tenant from subsetting.Sc. 1801 Farmer's Mag. (Nov.) 379:
All tacks, likewise, that are to subsist for a great length of time, are also assignable, as well as subsettable.Per. 1831 Perthshire Advert. (24 Nov.):
Greenyards have long been subset as Garden Grounds, at excellent Rents.Sc. 1884 Crofters' Comm. Evid. III. 1706:
One of the great difficulties in the management of the crofters is the constant tendency to subdivide and subset their crofts.

II. n. 1. A sub-lease, a letting of the whole or part of a building or land by one who is already the tenant of it.Abd. 1749 Sc. N. & Q. (Ser. 1.) XII. 19:
One of the Heretors commonly gets a Tack of the whole teinds of the Parish and he grants subsetts to the rest of the Heretors.Edb. 1772 Edb. Ev. Courant (19 Dec.):
The Tack or Subset of a large Dwelling-House at the foot of Skinner's Close.Sc. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XIV. 536:
The population has increased of late, by the division of some tacks and subsets on a large farm.Per. 1845 Stat. Acc.² X. 191:
Held by a company of bakers in Perth, on a subset from R. Sutherland, Esq.

2. One who holds land on a sub-lease, a sub-tenant.Sc. 1745 S.C. Misc. (1841) 414:
My intrest is far from the moss, and have no grass men or subsetts in my intrest.Abd. 1753 Abd. Estate (S.C.) 77:
10 heads of cattle of the subsetts cattle.