Sc. Forms: 1 byrst, 4 brust, 6 byrs(s, birs. Pl. birses; also 6–7 byrss. [In 16th c. birs, birss, for earlier birst:—OE. byrst, cogn. with OHG. burst, bursti, ON. burst (Sw. borst, Da. börste) ‘bristle.’ Only Sc. in later times.]
1. = BRISTLE. (To lick the birse: to pass a small bunch of hog’s bristles through the mouth—as is done on being made a ‘soutar of Selkirk.’)
a. 700. Epinal Gl., 905. Seta, byrst.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., I. 156. Swylce swinene byrst.
c. 1330. Rouland & V., 860. No is worþ þe brust of a swin.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. iv. 181. The rouch byrsis on the brest and crest Of that … beist.
1721. J. Kelly, Sc. Prov., 338 (Jam.). The souter gae the sow a kiss; ‘grumph,’ quo she, ‘its a’ for the birse.’
1724. Ramsay, Ever-Green (1761), I. 253. Knichts of the Birs and Thumble.
1815. Scott, in Lockhart, xxxvi. (1839), V. 123. I am still puzzled to dispose of the Birse. Note. A birse or bunch of hog’s bristles forms the cognizance of the Sutors.
1882. Society, 14 Oct., 5/1. Mr. G. O. Trevelyan … will require to ‘lick the birse’ at Selkirk.
b. Short hair of the beard or body.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 147. Many of thame lacked beardis … and tharefore could not bukkill other by the byrse.
1786. Burns, Addr. Beelzebub. They lay aside all tender mercies, An’ tirl the hallions to the birses.
2. fig. In the phrase To set up the birse, etc.: Temper, rage, anger, in allusion to animals that bristle up when irritated.
1622. Course Conformitie, 153 (Jam.). Now his birse rise when he heareth the one.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xxi. He wad set up the tother’s birse, and maybe do mair ill nor gude.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., III. xi. (1849), 122. To smooth the birsses of their husbonds.
1871. Guthrie, Speech Westm. Hotel, 19 July, in Autobiog. (1875), II. 175. This set up my birse.
Hence Birsit a. Sc., bristled, bristly.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VII. i. 35. The birsit baris and beris in thair styis Roring all wod.
