† ˈthesaurer Chiefly Sc. Obs.
Also 5–6 thesaurair, -are, 5–7 -ar, 6 thesorar, -uerer, -awrar, 7 -orer.
[ad. L. thēsaurārius treasurer, f. thēsaurus treasure: see -ar2, -er2 2. Cf. Pr. thesaurier, Sp. tesorero, It. tesoriere; also treasurer.]
An officer in charge of treasure, or of a treasury; = treasurer. thesaurer deput, deputy treasurer: see quot. 1708.
| c 1450 Holland Howlat 209 Apon the sand ȝit I sawe, as thesaurer tane,..schir Gawane the Drak. 1473 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 32 Pait be the Thesaurair. 1489 Ibid. 125 Takyne be the Kyng..out of the Thesorarris purs. 1544 in Gross Gild Merch. II. 75 The othir halfe to the thesuerer of the sayde sytty [Dublin]. 1557–75 Diurn. Occur. (1833) 180 Iohne Cunnynghame..wes maid half thesaurer, with Mr. Robert Ritchartsone that wes thesaurer of befoir. 1685 Lond. Gaz. No. 2031/1 The Earl of Kintore Lord Thesaurer Deput. 1707 Narr. Jas. Nimmo (1889) 103, I was chosen Town Thesaurer. 1708 J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. ii. ii. iv. (1737) 376 The Officers of State [of Scotland] before the late Union... The Lord Thesaurer Depute, whose Commission ran in the same Terms with that given to the Thesaurer Principal, or the Commissioners of Thesaury. 1711 Countrey-Man's Let. to Curat 21 The Lord Thesaurer Burleigh and Sir Francis Walsingham Secretary,..were professed Friends to the Non-conformists. |
b. attrib. thesaurer house, treasury.
| 1489 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 110 Item, the thrid da of May, takin be the King furth of the Thesaurare Houss himself, foure score of demyss, lvj li. |