maught, maucht Now only Sc.
(mɔːxt)
Forms: 3–4 maȝt, maght, 4 mauȝt, 4, 9 macht, 4–5 mawcht, 4– maucht, 4– maught.
[App. a. ON. *maht-r (Icel. mátt-r):—OTeut. type *mahtu-z, a parallel formation with *mahti-z fem.: see might n.]
Strength, might, power, ability.
| c 1220 Bestiary 541 Ðis deuel is mikel wið wil and maȝt. a 1300 Cursor M. 6720 Þe lord þat þat beist aght, Sal þar-for ansuer at his maght. c 1320 Sir Beues (A.) 860 A swerd of miche mauȝt. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxi. (Clement) 454 He..hyre embrasit with al his macht. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. v. x. 3065 Wytht mekyll mawcht. 1549 Compl. Scotl. vi. 41 Ane lang draucht, ane lang draucht, mair maucht, mair maucht. 1768 Ross Helenore (1789) 22 They had nae maughts for sick a toilsome task. a 1774 Fergusson Poems (1789) II. 96 Fearfu' aften o' their maught. 1825–80 Jamieson s.v. Maucht, Of a person who is paralytic, or debilitated by any other malady, it is said; He has lost the machts, or his machts. |
Hence ˈmaughtless (also mauchless) a., powerless; ˈmauchty a., powerful.
| 1768 Ross Helenore (1789) 17 Jeering, they'd say, Poor Lindy's maughtless grown. Ibid. 22 Amo' the herds that plaid a maughty part. 1819 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd (1827) 38 Whairat the mauchty knicht took fire. 1882 J. Walker Jaunt to Auld Reekie, etc. 27 Flat on the floor..Where mauchless he in beastly stupor fell. |