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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HOISE, v., n. Also hoize (Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1898) ix.), hoyse. Cf. Heeze, v., n.¹ [hɔiz]

I. v. 1. tr. and intr. To raise, lift up, to heave up (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Uls. 1953 Traynor; em.Sc.(a), Arg., Kcb. 1957); to hoist (a sail); ¶to get (a boat) under way. Also used fig., to elevate, exalt. Now only dial. in Eng.Mry. 1710 E. D. Dunbar Social Life (1865) 64:
To lower their saile . . . and then hoise it again.Sc. 1746 Caled. Mercury (22 Sept.):
Seventeen convict Felons, mostly English and Irish, on board the Mary Snow of and from London . . . hois'd the Boat and made their Escape to Wardie above Newhaven.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 49:
The growlan fish wives hoise their creels, Set a' their banes a gelling.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 169:
They'd gar ane trow their hew an' cry, Wad hoize our isle aboon the sky.Abd. 1809 J. Skinner Amusements 93:
Than hoize and furl at flappin sails Wi' droukit jacket.Ags. 1828 A. Laing Misc. Pieces 4:
Then up in the centre our standard we'll hoise.Dwn. 1844 R. Huddleston Poems 17:
Ah! Bacchus, don't yeir drink yet spare, But hoise him in a nossac mair.Gall. 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 19:
The lan wus fu o' stanes, an the pleuch use't tae stot aff the stanes an hoise the pleughman aff his feet.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 15:
A patriarch-leike body, — heed -bared, an airm hoised as ei hailed the Muises.Ork. 1934 E. Linklater Magnus Merriman xxiii.:
She was strong, and she hoised aloft great loads of hay with tireless vigour.

2. To boast, brag, vaunt, to bluster, to rant (Abd. 1825 Jam.).Ags. 1883 J. Kennedy Poems 98:
Sune the toddy starts him hoisin, Sune he grows anither chiel.

3. To romp, clown. Cf. hyze s.v. Heeze, v., 2.Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 100:
The hinds did wi' the hizzies hoise, An' a' the country news Recount that day.

II. n. A lift, a heave up (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Fif., Arg., Kcb. 1957). Also used fig.Ayr. 1786 Burns Ordination xiii.:
They'll gie her on a rape a hoyse.Rxb. 1821 A. Scott Poems 145:
And ilk to gie their hope a hoise.Sc. 1834 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1856) IV. 98:
He put his haun aneath the basket, and tried to gie't a hoise.Kcb. 1895 Crockett Moss-Hags xl.:
So we e'en gied him a bit hoise an' ower he gaed intil the water.