spreaghn.
/sprɛx/ (See quots. and spreath n.)
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > stealing animals > [noun] > cattle-raiding or rustling
spreagh1809
spreaghery1814
cattle-lifting1861
rustling1906
cattle-rustling1907
1809 W. Scott Let. 10 Sept. (1932) II. 235 I met an old follower of Rob Roy, who had been at many a spreagh (foray) with that redoubted free-booter.
1817 W. Scott Rob Roy II. xiii. 281 Driving a spreagh (whilk is, in plain Scotch, stealing a herd of nowte).
1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward I. vii. 159 ‘You will not deny that they are cattle-lifters?’ said Guthrie. ‘To drive a spreagh, or so, is no thievery,’ said Balafré.
Derivatives
ˈspreaghery n. (also sprechery) cattle-raiding; plunder, booty.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > stealing animals > [noun] > cattle-raiding or rustling
spreagh1809
spreaghery1814
cattle-lifting1861
rustling1906
cattle-rustling1907
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > stolen goods > [noun] > spoil or plunder
reifOE
fang1016
fengc1175
purchasec1325
predec1330
robberyc1330
robbingsc1330
spoila1340
spoila1382
chevisance1393
waitha1400
fee14..
pilferc1400
pelfa1425
spreathc1425
butinc1450
emprisec1450
gain1473
despoil1474
pelfry?a1475
pilfery1489
spulyie1507
cheat1566
bootinga1572
booty1574
escheat1587
boot1598
exuvial1632
bootyn1635
polling1675
expilation1715
prog1727
swag1794
filch1798
spreaghery1814
stake1819
1814 W. Scott Waverley II. xviii. 283 It is unspeakable the quantity of useless sprechery which they have collected on their march. View more context for this quotation
1817 W. Scott Rob Roy II. xiii. 290 They lay bye quiet eneugh, saving some spreagherie on the Lowlands.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1914; most recently modified version published online March 2018).
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n.1809