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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BICK, Bikk, Bik, Bekk, Bikko, n.¹  [bɪk, bek, bɛk Sh.; ′bɪ̢ko Ork.]

1. A female dog. Sc. equivalent of Eng. bitch, and still widely known. Also attrib.Sc. 1827 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 317:
And that white deevil — a bick, I'se warrant, for bicks are aye the fleetest and the fiercest, hinging to the Buck's lug.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
bikk, bitch; also occas. bekk Ork. 1929 Marw.:
bikko, a she-dog, a bitch.Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 177:
Will's old bick, her belly almost trailing on the road, hirpled to meet the visitor.Abd.(D) 1917 C. Murray Sough o' War (1918) 26:
I would a had to sell't my verge, or smoke a raith on tick, But for the fleein' merchant's cairt, my ferrets an' the bick.Abd. 1994 Sheena Blackhall in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 136:
Doonstairs cam the loons - near filled the kitchie, their hairty lauch; shaved, douve, spruced up, tormentin the bik collie till she snapped, an' bein raged for their divilment b' the auld man.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 43:
An the cadger's bikk wis ower weel acquant
To badder eyven to bowff.Ags. 1895 J. Inglis Oor Ain Folk 10:
Sluts were not so frequently used for shepherding purposes as dogs, being less tractable. The local name for a slut was “bick.”Fif. 1733 Culross Town Records (23 Feb.):
The haill Dogs and Bicks within the town.Edb. 1733 Caled. Mercury (6 Aug.):
There was taken up off the Streets of Edinburgh, a little brown Messon Bick.

2. Applied to a man.Abd. 1914 R.M. in T.S.D.C. I. 20:
I never thocht he wis sic a bick.

3. A straw effigy of a dog put in derision at the door of a farm which had fallen behind in harvest work (Ork. 1930, bikko).