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 kauld.
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.
