Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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Perk, n. Also: perke; peirk; pirk; park. [ME. and e.m.E. (chiefly north., north midl., and East Anglian) perk(e (c 1350): cf. Perch n.² and North. F. perque.]

1. A (? substantial) pole or stake. ?1438 Alex. ii. 9210.
The perk [sc. of the standard] he hewit euin in tua 1513 Doug. xi. ii. 65.
He bad the capitanys … In syng of trophe or pomp triumphall Gret perkis [v.r. pykis] bair or [v.r. of] treyn saplyng that squair is Cled with the armour of thar aduersaris 1513 Ib. iv. 76.
For all the Tuscane menȝe … rich spulȝe hydder bryngis On perkis [Ruthv. And parkis] rychly cled with thar armyngis 1513 Ib. xvii. 59.
[They] Perkis gret with byrslyt endis and brunt … doun swakkis 1540 Treasurer's Accounts VII. 357.
And viij fyre perkis witht utheris fyre werk schot

b. spec. A heavy staff used by fullers, ? for beating the cloth in fulling by hand. a1400 Legends of the Saints vii. 2 15.
Thane ane a walkare perk hynt & gafe Sancte Iamis sic a dynte That [etc.] c1420 Wynt. v. 639.
Off Jacob … Wyth a walkarys perk … The harnys all war strykyn owte

2. A horizontal bar for a hawk or tame bird to rest on; a bird's perch.(a) c1500 Fyve Bestes 167.
At evyne apon his perke he [the cock] gat 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 1774.
The falcon this behalding quhair scho sat Vpon hir perk(b) 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 3237.
This saw the py on hir pirk quhair scho sat

3. A pole or rod, set up horizontally, to hang cloth or clothes on. 1620 Perth Kirk S. MS. 21 Aug.
They apprehendit … sum claithis hingand on perkis 1621 Ib. 6 Mar.
Admoneissit nocht to hing out claithis on his peirkis on the calsay