Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BEUCH, BEUGH, n. [bjux]; Burns in Ye flowery banks rhymes bough with true.

1. Branch of a tree, a bough.Sc. a.1810 H. Hecht Songs from D. Herd's MSS. (1904) 92:
Birds on their beughs of every sort.Sc. 1820 Marmaiden of Clyde in Edb. Mag. VI. 423:
While the brainches an' beuchs o' frusher trees War scatter'd on the win'.Sc.(E) 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms lxxx. 10:
Her beughs, they war cedars o' God. [A.V. And the boughs thereof [the vine] were like the goodly cedars.]

2. The limb of an animal.Ags. 1706 Mare of Collingtoun in J. Watson Choice Collection i. 46:
Who came and tuik her by the Beugh.Borders 1808 Jam.:
Beugh. A limb, a leg.

fig. extension to a person.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 217:
“Foo are ye?” “Ou, jist hirplin' awa; a'm jist an aul' eesless cripple beuch.”

3. (1) “The bow of a ship, or boat” (Mry.¹ 1925, Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 217).

(2) “The oar at the bow on starboard side” (Ags. (Arbroath) 1927 (per Ags.¹)).

Combs: (1) Beuch-baak, the seat furthest forward in a boat.Bnff.² 1928:
Weysie wis sittin' on th' beuch-baak, pullin' wi' a' his micht.

(2) Beuchlon, “the rest for the rower's feet in the forepart of the boat” (Avoch, Rs. 1914 per Mry.²). [′bjux′lon]

(3) Beuch-oarsman, “the man who rows in the bow of the boat” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff. 217).

(4) Beuch-room, the further forward of the two compartments in the hold of a herring boat for containing nets, ropes, buoys, and any overflow catch from the main hold.Bnff.² 1928:
Wi hid a gran shot, wi' mair than half a score o' cran in th' beuch-room.