Obs. or arch. Also 6 coystrel(l, coisterel, 6–7 coystril(l, 8 coistril. [A variant of CUSTREL q.v. (An interchange of u and oi in words from Fr. is frequent.)]
1. A groom, or servant in charge of the horses of a knight.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., II. 429. A knight with his esquire, and coistrell with his two horsses. Ibid., Hist. Scotl. (1586), II. 89. Such coisterels and other as remained with the Scotish cariage, seeing the discomfiture of their aduersaries, ran foorth and pursued them into those marishes.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xviii. Nor can you fly from your standard without such infamy as even coistrels or grooms are unwilling to incur.
b. = Lad. (Cf. GROOM.)
1688. Miége, Fr. Dict., Coistrel, a young Lad, un jeune Garçon.
2. Used as a term of reproach or contempt: Knave, base fellow, low varlet.
1581. B. Riche, Farewell, D ij. Her Chastitie assailed by suche a simple coisterell.
1591. Troub. Raigne K. John (1611), C i b. Sham’st thou not coystrell, loathsome dunghill swad, To grace thy carkasse with an ornament.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., IV. ii. You whorson, bragging Coystril!
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., I. iii. 43. He’s a Coward and a Coystrill that will not drinke to my Neece.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), I. A coistril … Met. homo timidus.
attrib. 1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Log., Ded. The swarming rabble of our coystrell curates.
