Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

‡DROG, n., v. Also drogue, drogg, ¶droog (m.Lth. 1858 Dark Night xx., xxii.). [drɔg, dro:g Sc., but drʌug Cai.]

1. n. A medicinal substance, a drug (Bnff.², Abd.², Mearns⁶ (drog), Fif.¹⁰ (drogue) 1940).Sc. 1818 S. E. Ferrier Marriage II. xi.:
Hoo's Grizzy, an' Jacky, and Nicky? — aye workin awa at the pills an' the drogs — he, he!Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's W. ii.:
There they stand like doctor's drogs — and no an honest Scotch mutchkin will ane o' their viols haud.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxiv.:
Fat dis he mean, Mains, by aye speakin' o' “feesikle force” — is't ony kin' o' drogs?Knr. 1925 “H. Haliburton” Horace in Homespun 197:
An' Doctor Jalap an' his drogs Gang scoorin' thro' the toon!Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 26:
Few drogs in doctors' shops are better For me or you.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie xxxiv.:
O doctor! it would hae been mair to the purpose, had ye been kirning drogs with the pistle and mortar in your ain shop.Gall. 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 3:
A'm fit tae be chokit wi' the clocher an' the floam! yon drogg was nae use.Uls. c.1920 J. Logan Ulster in X-Rays (2nd ed.) vii.:
I nearly pushened mysel' twunty times tastin' the different drogs he sent me.

2. v. To administer drugs (to) (Abd.²⁷ 1951).Bnff. 1927 E. S. Rae Hansel Fae Hame 29:
At droggin' o' a dwinin' stirk, there's fient-a-ane like Cairns.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 33:
Slow, bashfu amo folk,
Bit see him calve a coo or drog a stirk
Or set a dreepin stook tull een o' clock.