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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.

‡INSET, n., adj. Also insett; inseat.

I. n. 1. The Infield or a sub-division of it. Used only in conveyancing formulae describing landed property. Cf. Outset.Abd. 1706 T. Mair Ellon Par. Rec. (1876) 150:
The towns and lands of Ardgrane and Broomfield, with the multures, sucken, sequells, knaveships, houses, biggings, yeards, tofts, crofts, outsetts, insetts, tennents, tenendries and service of free tenents.Sc. 1762 Nairne Peerage Evidence (1873) 92:
Milns, miln lands, fishings, outsetts, insetts, tenants.Abd. 1793 Session Cases, Leslie v. Fraser (29 March 1805) 9:
With all and sundry houses, biggings, yards, tofts, crofts, outsets, insets.

2. The living-room in a farm-house (Lnk. 1825 Jam.; Rnf. 1837 Crawfurd MSS. XI. 314; Slg., Lnk. 1887 Jam.). Sometimes applied to a small room between kitchen and parlour in a three-apartment house (Jam.). Also attrib.Bte. 1706 Session Bk. Rothesay (1931) 223:
The deponent . . . found the said Bryce in the inset bed with Issobell.Lnk. 1808 W. Watson Poems 103:
The morn I sal speak to my father, To big us an inset an' spence.Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 114:
That part of the building which served the family for lodging, sleeping, cookery, dairy, etc. denominated the in-seat, was about 12 or at most 14 feet square.

3. The mouth of a surface working or of a level in a mine.Dmf. 1774 Dmf. Weekly Mag. (22 Feb.) 352:
Two boys of the name of Symington belonging to Leadhills, out of curiosity went into an inset to see the mine.Fif. 1957 Bulletin (6 Nov.) 15:
Down the shaft, . . . into the platform of the Glassee Inset, 270 ft. farther down.

II. adj. Temporarily taking another's place, substitute, acting (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.).Abd. 1739 Caled. Mag. (1788) 500:
In came the inset Dominie, Just riftin frae his dinner.