Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
SMITE, n.1 Also smyte. Dim. smittock. [sməit]
1. A small bit, a tiny portion, a particle (Mry. 1825 Jam.). Also in Eng. dial.Abd. 1881 W. Paul Past and Present 52:
It's an unco little smite o' tobacco that ye get noo for a bawbee.
2. A small, insignificant person, a weak or puny creature (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 171; ne.Sc., Ags., Per. (smittock) 1970).
[Poss. ad. Smite, v., sc. a piece struck off, a fraction. Cf. Mid.Eng. smit, id., Smit, n., 3. and Smyte, n., with etym. note.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Smite n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/smite_n1>
