ˈumest, a. Sc. Now rare.
Also 5 humest, 6 vmest, wmest, 8–9 umist, 9 eemest; 5 humast, 5–6 um-, vmast, 9 eemost, yimost.
[OE. ufemest: see ovemest a.]
† 1. Of clothes: Uppermost, outermost; spec. applied to the coverlet of a bed, claimed by the priest as a perquisite on the death of a parishioner.
| c 1400 Sc. Trojan War ii. 1932 Pallamydes..tuke of baith hois & schone, And syne his vmast clath. c 1470 Henry Wallace ix. 707 Wallace gert tak in haist thar humest weid. 1535 Lyndesay Satyre 3900 From this day furth, thay salbe cleane denudit Baith of cors-present, cow, and vmest claith. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 196 Preistis, tak na kyis, The vmest claith ȝe sall quyte clame. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 349 Thow gaif againe to the parochinaris the kow and the wmest cloth. |
2. Of things or places: Lying uppermost or highest.
| c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. viii. xxvii. 4652 Endlange þe wode war wayis twa: Þe erl in þe vmast lay of þa. 1456 Sir G. Hay Gov. Princes Wks. (S.T.S.) II. 123 The ground of the stomak is..mare forcy of degestioun na the humast part of the stomak. 1513 Douglas æneid xii. vi. 172 Turnus..evin betwix the helm can him arras And vmast roll or hem of his curas. 1537 Reg. Privy Seal Scot. II. 352/2 The umest hous and duelling place of the land callit the Abbay ȝet. 1566 in Ramsay Bamff Charters (1915) 103 Quhill it cum to the entres of the umest forkis of the burn. 1710 Ruddiman Gloss. Douglas' æneis, Umist, S. upmost, uppermost. c 1800– in glossaries and texts (Kinc., Aberdeen, Moray, Caithness, etc.: Eng. Dial. Dict. s.v. Eemost). |
3. Most important or prominent. ? Obs.
| 1513 Douglas æneid i. vi. 66 Lang war the iniuris, the dowtis lang to be tawld; Bot I the vmest of the mater sall hauld. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 284 The Earle of Angus become werie prude and insolent.., thinkand quho ewer had right to the autorietie he sould be vmest. |