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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CHACK,Chak, n.¹,v.¹ Sc. form of Eng.check, curb. The Eng. form check is illustrated only in a comb. peculiar to Sc. [tʃɑk]

1.n. Sc. forms:

  A bank cheque. Kcb. 1896 A. J. Armstrong Kirkiebrae xxxi.:
I'll han' the chack to Wratham, an' the bill to the auld man.

Sc. usages:

(1) A mechanical device for checking the movement of anything, as in Eng.check-lock, check-key, etc. (Lnk.³ 1939).Sc.1702 Account Bk. Sir J. Foulis (S.H.S. 1894):
Decr. 19: to Joⁿ aitkine, masone, for Hewing the chacks of the 2 chess windows at woodhall . . . . 0. 14. 6.Ags.1891 J. Y. GeddesIn the Valhalla 61:
Said John to himsel', "This friendship I'll brak'," As he bocht him a lock an' put in a chack.Rxb.1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 98:
A spaik o' Pharaoh's chariot-wheel, The chack o' auld Deborah's reel, He'll let you see.

†(2) Comb.: chack-reel, check-, a reel for winding yarn (see first quot.).Sc. 1825 Jam.²; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 130:
Chack-reel, check-reel, the common reel for winding yarn. It is thus denominated, because it is constructed with a check; or perhaps from its clacking noise, when the quantity of yarn legally required for a cut has been wound on it.Bwk. 1716 W. Maddan in Proc. Bwk. Nat. Club (1914) 299:
In the far roum - Ane old table . . . bars in the chimnie, a chackreel.

(3) in carpentry and masonry: a groove, notch or cut on the edge of a board or stone made to fit in with a corresponding cut on another board or to allow something to rest against it or be checked from movement by it, a rabbet (Sc. 1952 Builder (20 June) 942). Gen-Sc., now gen. in form check; 'the groove cut in the stem, keel, and sternpost of a boat for the boards to fit into' (Ork. 1929 Marw., chak, Bnff.² 1939).

2. v. (1) To check, lit. and fig. Known to Fif.¹, Lnk.³ 1939.Lnk. 1893 T. Stewart Among the Miners 177:
In big balloons they'll tak the air, An' guidness! wha's tae chack them there, Gin ance they fa' a-fleein'.Gall. 1930 (per Wgt.³):
When I chackit Johnie for't, he said, "I'll mak' him rue the day he clyp't on me." intr. to moderate, abate, become less by degrees, poss. associated with the motion of a check-reel.Ayr. 1885 J. Meikle Yachting Yarns 87:
Aboot dinner time the win' fell licht an' chackit roon tae the nor'it. Ayr. 1885 J. Meikle Yachting Yarns 87:
Aboot dinner time the win' fell licht an' chackit roon tae the nor'it.

(2) to cut or groove the edge of a board or stone to fit into another, to make a rabbet. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1833 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Cott. Archit. 1072, 1778:
The rafters to be chacked and spiked together. . . . The steps [of a stair] to be checked down on each other. Sc. 1834 G. Smith Construction Cottages 33:
The water-cisterns to be formed of droved pavement, half-checked, and pointed with white lead.