Forms: α. 4–6 tressour, (5 -owre, tresour, -ewyr, treasour, trissoure, 7 tresseur); β. 5 tressur, trussure, 6 treasure, 5– tressure; γ. 5 trechoure. [ME. tressour represents OF. tresseor, -eour, also tressoir, tressoer (13th c.):—L. *triciātōrium: see -OUR; ME. tressure = OF. tressure, -eure (12–13th c.): see -URE; f. F. tresse TRESS.]
† 1. A ribbon or band worn round the head; a net with which a woman’s tresses are confined; a head-dress; also, app., the arrangement of her hair in tresses, her chevelure. Obs.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xxxvii. 105. The ryche ledies in huere bour, That wereden gold on huere tressour.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1739. Þe hazer stones Trased aboute hir tressour, be twenty in clusteres.
a. 1366[?]. [see TRESS v.1].
c. 1420. Metr. Life St. Kath. (Halliw.), 11. Maxent … bad anon hys turmentours Do hange hur be hur tresourys.
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 656/17. Hoc tricatorium, tressure.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., ibid. 792/18. Hec tricatura, a tresewyr.
1483. Cath. Angl., 392/2. A Tressowre, trica, tricatura. Ibid., 394/1. A Trissoure of A woman hedde, cincinnus,… trica, tricatura, cincinnaculus.
2. Her. A diminutive of the orle (ORLE 1 a), consisting of a narrow band of one-quarter the width of the bordure; usually borne counterfleury, or double and fleury counterfleury, as in the arms of Scotland. Formerly also called trace (TRACE sb.1 10), tract (TRACT sb.3 6 (a)).
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 635. Hure botenus was toore, Anamelede with azoure; With topyes and trechoure Overtrasyd. Ibid., 1031. He beres in cheef of azour, Engrelyd with a satur, With doubule tressour.
1572. Bossewell, Armorie, II. 41 b. Without mention made of anye tracte, or Tressour Counterflorie.
1592. Wyrley, Armorie, Ld. Chandos, 77. Two Ermin Lions passant crowned gold, With Scottish treasure.
1611. Cotgr., Trescheur, a Tracke, or Tresseur (in Blason).
1704. J. Harris, Lex. Techn., I. Tressure, a term in Heraldry for an Orle when it is flowered; and if there be two of them, it is called a double Tressure.
1707. E. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. ii. (ed. 22), 90. In the second place, Or, within a Double Tressure, Counter-flower’d Lys, Gules, a Lyon Rampant of the Second, for the Royal Arms of Scotland.
1808. Scott, Marm., IV. vii. The double tressure might you see, First by Achaius borne.
1857. J. Paterson, Hist. Regality Musselburgh, 180. Three crescents within a double tressure.
3. Numism. An ornamental enclosure, circular or of several arches, containing the type or distinctive device, found on many gold and silver coins of former centuries.
1745. M. Folkes, Eng. Silver Coins, 16. He … omitted the double tressure surrounding the head upon the former groats.
1817. Ruding, Annals Coinage, III. 400. In a double tressure of ten arches with trefoils in the outer angles, the English Lion [etc.].
1841. Hawkins, Silver Coins (1876), 206. Edward III. 1327 to 1377…. The Groats were struck at London or York: the type has the bust of the king, front face, within a double tressure of nine arches.
1898. G. B. Rawlings, Brit. Coinage, 39. Gold florin of Edw. III. … Rev. A short ornate beaded cross, enclosed by a tressure of four arches, with a lion in each angle.
Hence Tressured a., provided with (in quot. loosely, borne upon) a tressure.
1805. Scott, Last Minstrel, IV. viii. The tressured fleur-de-luce he [Thirlestane] claims To wreathe his shield.
