Sc. Obs. In 4–6 wageour, vageour, 6 waeger, waigeour, vager. [f. WAGE sb. + -ER1 (spelt -our after words from AF.).
While the known instances are exclusively Sc., the surname Wager (‘Ricardus le Wager’ c. 1275 in Shropsh. Arch., I. 126) suggests that the word may at one time have been current in the south.]
A mercenary soldier.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XI. 48. And off tresour so stuffit is he, That he may vageowris haf plente.
c. 1420. Wyntoun, Cron., IV. 679. Thre hundyr thousande he had by Off wageouris armyt al at richt.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 87. In the samyn cas, say I of a knycht that is wageour till a king or a lorde.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, X. 755. Thai wageours sone he put to confusion.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XI. Prol. 71. Gif thou be aganist God,… Than art thou wageour onto Lucifer.
1532. Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844), I. 144. The furnesing of certane waegeris to conuoy our souerane lordis artailȝery. Ibid. (1558), 309. To furneis vageris extranearis to the nummer of ane hundreytht men.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), II. 273. The men of weir waigeours, quhom he commandes to bring the gret gunis.
b. attrib. quasi-adj. Mercenary, bribed.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S. T. S.), 182. Thocht wageour Freiris faine wald lie, The treuth will furth.
