Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
†MORTERCHEYN, n. Also morta(r)-, morti-, mort d(e)-; -cheyne, -chyne, -sheen, -shein, -chien. A disease of horses, the glanders (Sc. 1808 Jam.).Bnff. 1729 W. Cramond Annals Bnff. (S.C.) I. 200:
The owners of mortercheyn horses are ordered to keep them close within their houses day and night.Sc. 1759 Fountainhall Decisions I. 406:
Anent the horse infected with the mord de chien.Ork. 1768 Stenness Kirk Sess. Rec. (10 April):
Collection for James Tulloch, a poor man in the parish of Harray, who had lost his horse by a sudden death called the Mortasheen.Per. 1816 J. Duff Poems 86:
And now he's tane the mortersheen, See how he runs at nose an' een.Abd. 1882 W. Forsyth Writings 154:
A hotterin' lauch 'at mynt me o' a horse i' the mortar-shien.
