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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

ETTERCAP, n. Also †ethercap; †ettercoup; et(t)erkap, edercap (I.Sc.); †eddercap. See Nettercap, Attercap, Ather-cap.

1. A spider (w.Sc. 1741 A. Macdonald Galick Vocab. 71, eddercap; Sc. 1825 Jam.²; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl.; Per. 1915, Ayr. 1923 Wilson; Sh., Ork., Cai., Bnff., Abd., Ags., Fif., Knr., w.Lth. 1945).Fif. 1844 J. Jack St Monance 166:
In some instances the ettercap or spider is still favourably looked upon.Dmf. 1899 J. Shaw in Country Schoolmaster (ed. Wallace) 326:
As mad's an ettercap.Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 296:
The short-legged spider of the spider-web was called an etterkap.ne.Sc. 1921 J. Wight in Swatches 10:
The irrepressible laddie, like Robbie Breece's ettercap, aye seemed tae be in a fair wey tae succeed aifter mony failers!Ags. 1934 H. B. Cruickshank Up the Noran Water 17:
Ettercap, ettercap, Spinnin' your threid, Midges for denner an' Flees for your breid.

Hence ettercap wheel, a vertical type of spinning wheel (Ork.¹ 1949).

2. An ant (Ayr.⁴ 1928).Sc. 1898 E.D.D. (s.v. Attercop):
I know the ant as the ettercap. A nest o' ettercaps.

3. Fig. A bad-tempered, spiteful person, applied esp. to one of small stature or curious appearance (Sc. 1825 Jam.², 1895 “N. Roy” Horseman's Word xxi., ettercoup; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl.; Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. of Burns; Sh., Bnff., Abd., Ags. 1950).Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shepherd Act IV. Sc. i. in Poems (1728):
'Tis dafter like to thole An Ether-cap, like him, to blaw the Coal.Sc. 1793 “Tam Thrum” Look before ye Loup 27:
But Charles, you wou'd undervalue poor fo'k; you wou'd ca' us, like that ettercap Burke, the swinish multitude.Ayr. 1822 Galt Sir A. Wylie III. xxvi.:
This misleart aunty of yours has been garring me trow that ye're a cross-grained ettercap like hersel.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxiii.:
“Fat!” exclaimed Jonathan Tawse, “tell me that that ettercap, Gushetneuk's, been thratenin' that the faces o' some o' them'll be seen here ere lang?”Sc. 1896 Stevenson Weir of Hermiston vii.:
Here, ettercap! Ye'll have to wait on yon Innes!Kcb. 1896 S. R. Crockett Grey Man xxiii.:
Wild ettercap as she was, I now counted Nell Kennedy almost the only friend I had left.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood xiii.:
And yon thrawn ettercap frae Bold ridin' wi' the sodgers and praisin' the Lord when anither waefu' creature perishes.

Hence ¶ethercapite, ppl.adj., venomously spiteful.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems II. 167:
Sae ye may craw and clap your Wings, And smile at Ether-capite Stings With careless Pride.