messan Sc.
(ˈmɛsən)
Forms: 6–8 messen, 8 messon, 9 messin, 5– messan.
[? a. Gael. measan = Irish measán, M.Irish mesán (Macbain).]
A lap-dog; also applied to a person as a term of abuse. Also attrib. as messan-dog, messan-cur, messan-tyke.
| a 1500 Bernard. de cura rei fam. (E.E.T.S.) 13 Litile doggis and messanys with þar bellis. 1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 495 A crabbit, scabbit, euill facit messan tyke. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scotl. I. 22 The varietie of Messen dogs, w{supt} quhilkes gentle women vses to recreate thame selfes. 1719 Hamilton Ep. i. iii. in Ramsay Poems (1877) II. 232 To petty poets, or sic messens. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 18 Na pride had he, But wad hae spent an hour caressan, Ev'n wi' a Tinkler-gipsey's messan. 1828 Scott F. M. Perth xv, I met him..with a common minstrel wench, with her messan and her viol on his..arm. 1853 Carlyle in Atlantic Monthly LXXXII. (1898) 685 The white mat on Jane's lap is her wretched little messin-dog. |