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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GLAMOUR, n., v. Also glammer, -ar, glamer, -or, glaum(m)er, †glaumour, ¶glaimer (Sc.(E) 1936 J. G. Horne Flooer o' the Ling 46). [′glɑ(:)mər]

I. n. 1. Magic, enchantment, witchcraft; a spell, esp. one affecting the sight, as in phr. to cast (the) — ower someone('s een). Glamour, although now adopted by Eng., was orig. Sc. and popularised in liter. use by Scott.Peb. 1715 A. Pennecuik Descr. Twd. 396:
Albeit the webster have the glamer, There are even richer men nor he, That keep me in their chiefest chamber.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I., Gl.:
When Devils, Wizards, or Juglers deceive the Sight, they are said to cast Glamour o'er the Eyes of the Spectator.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 63:
Sure Major Weir, or some sic warlock wight, Has flung beguilin' glamer o'er your sight.Ayr. 1789 Burns Grose's Peregrinations iv.:
Ye gipsy-gang that deal in glamour, And you, deep-read in hell's black grammar, Warlocks and witches.Dmf. 1805 Scots Mag. (Sept.) 700:
Love's glammar twinkles frae their een And vivify's each comely feature.Sc. 1830 Scott Demonology iii.:
This species of witchcraft is well known in Scotland as the glamour, or deceptio visus, and was supposed to be a special attribute of the race of Gipsies.Fif. 1876 A. Laing Lindores Abbey 384:
There were those in this neighbourhood, long after the beginning of the present century, who believed that a slip of rowan tree carried on their person dispelled glamour, and rendered nugatory all the powers of sorcery and witchcraft.Abd. 1877 W. Alexander Rural Life 169:
The “twal owsen” team at Mill of Carden, had got some glamour cast over them.Lnk. 1902 A. Wardrop Hamely Sk. 59:
I . . . gied mysel' a shake, an' rubbed the glaummer oot my een.

Hence glamorous, adj., magic, supernatural.Gall. 1902 Gallovidian IV. 63:
There cam' an awfu' splash, Accompanied by a glam'rous flash.

Obs. comb. and attrib. uses: (1) glamour bead, glamer- [prob. due to confusion with Lammer, amber], an amber bead (Lth. 1808 Jam., glamer-): “it was believed . . . that witches generally wore amber beads, because of their magical power, and for purposes of fascination” (Ib.); (2) glamour-bed-strae, a species of the plant bedstraw, Galium boreale (Rnf. 1837 Crawford MSS. XI. 56); (3) gla(u)mour gift, the power of enchantment; (4) glamour might, idem.(1) Mry. 1835 Lintie o' Moray (Rampini 1887) 64:
Their een, like glamour beads o' dew, Will set the cauldest heart a-dirlin'.(3) Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems I. 21:
May be some wily lass has had the airt, Wi' spells, an' charms, to win our Robin's heart; An' hauds him, wi' her Glaumour gift, sae fell.Sc. 1896 “L. Keith” Indian Uncle iv.:
She is crabbit . . . but the glamour gift to weave spells is hers too.(4) Sc. 1805 Scott Last Minstrel iii. ix.:
It had much of glamour might, Could make a ladye seem a knight.

¶2. Suave talk, patter, polite nothings.Ayr. 1822 Galt Provost vii.:
“I'm glad to see you in London”, [said he] and a hantle o' ither courtly glammer that's no worth a repetition.

II. v. 1. To bewitch, enchant; to dazzle, blind. Arch.Sc. 1724 Ramsay Ever Green (1875) I. 220:
All this and mair maun cum to pass, To cleir your glamourit Sicht.Hdg. a.1801 R. Gall Poems (1819) 143:
When I wad hae spoken, She glamoured my mou'.Sc. 1826 Aberdeen Censor 232:
I canna thole that black woodie! it glamours my auld een.Edb. 1856 J. Ballantine Poems 178:
He chuckles and he leers, His een glist wi' glee, or glammerit wi' tears.Dmf. 1874 R. Reid Moorland Rhymes 19:
The glamour't lass — the minny's dule — The aftercome — I min't it a'.Bnff. 1887 W. M. Philip Covedale xx.:
It's verra strange how men, even till they are dottled wi' age, will be glamoured wi' women.Sc. 1917 D. G. Mitchell Clachan Kirk 172:
The dochter o' Herodias danced afore the company, an' glamor'd Herod.

2. To deceive, bamboozle.Bwk. 1878 Whistle-Binkie II. 244:
The fish upon the table spread in ashets bright and clean, The larger spread aboon the fry to glamour anxious een.Ayr. 1890 J. Service Notandums xvi.:
The bardy scoot was never born that could glamour me twice.Kcd. 1900 W. Macgillivray Glengoyne II. iii.:
He wis cliver at glamorin' fouk wi' his tongue.Abd. 1909 J. T. Jeannie Jaffray v.:
Sae muckle are ye glamour't wi' yer ministers an' professors workin' for the king, as big yer ain prison.