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 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WARLOCK, n. Also warluck, warlick (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 119, 1926 Abd. Univ. Review (July) 223); waurlock; warlo. [′wɑrlɔk, ′wǫr-]

1. (1) One who is thought to be in league with the powers of darkness and to have supernatural knowledge and means of bewitching and harming others, the male equivalent of a witch (Sc. 1755 S. Johnson Dict., 1808 Jam.), occas. used of women; also, in a weaker sense, a sorcerer, wizard, magician. Gen.Sc., liter. Hence warlockry, wizardry, magic.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 160:
But gin ye be nae Warluck, How d'ye ken? Does Tam the Rhimer spae oughtlins of this?n.Sc. c.1730 E. Burt Letters (1815) I. 226:
He was himself a warlock, or wizard, which they knew by his taking the witch's part.Ayr. 1790 Burns Tam o' Shanter 30–31:
Thou wad be found, deep drown'd in Doon; Or catch'd wi' warlocks in the mirk.Sc. 1817 Blackwood's Mag. (April) 53:
He could maistly hae hauden his ain wi' them, an' it hadna been for their warlockry.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxiv.:
A warlock's grave shouldna be an inch mair ebb, or her ain witch cummers would soon whirl her out of her shroud.Slk. 1822 Hogg Perils of Man (1972) i.:
Sin' the Rhymer's days, the spirit o' true warlockry is gane.Sc. 1828 Scott Aunt Marg. Mirror ii.:
That rascally quack would make my fortune. . . . I suppose I must not ask your ladyship anything about this Italian warlock's proceedings?Sc. 1831 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) III. 121:
The shadows o' a' the eatables and drinkables that his wild warlockry could hae conjured up.Sc. 1886 Stevenson Kidnapped iii.:
I'm nae warlock, to find a fortune for you in the bottom of a parritch bowl.Mry. 1887 J. Thomson Speyside Par. 91:
There were several that were considered “nae ower canny,” but they were all eclipsed by the fame of Willie Watson, a veritable warlock.Kcb. 1911 G. M. Gordon Auld Clay Biggin' 20:
Aye glumphin' an' glowrin' at them like a warlock.Abd. 1929 Abd. Univ. Rev. (March) 132:
Lewie Gordon wiz a byordinar warlock. He studiet at Padua in Eetaly.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web iii:
A puil, fit o the Darroch, keepit me drawin fur oors, fur I wis certain a kelpie bedd in its founs, an the cheengin lichts an sweels an birls in the watter wis like a warlock's witchins, reistin me tae yon airt. Picturs hiv ay bin pouerfu tae me. I think in picturs.

(2) Freq. attrib. and comb., often in extended sense; bewitched, magical, supernatural; malevolent, mischievous.Sc. 1724 Ramsay Ever-Green I. 51:
A Bytand Ballat on warlo Wives, That gar their Men live pinging Lives.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 142:
Sure Major Weir, or some sic warlock wight, Has flung beguilin' glamer o'er your sight.Ayr. 1793 Burns Dainty Davie i.:
Meet me on the warlock knowe.Rxb. 1802 J. Leyden Lord Soulis lvi.:
The black spae-book from his breast he took, Impressed with many a warlock spell.Sc. 1821 Scott Pirate vi.:
“Honest woman!” echoed Baby — “Foul warlock thief!”Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas 44:
Wi' it nae warlock airt they need to ken.Fif. 1831 Gasometer 206:
Craws aye biggin' aboot auld waurlock places.Ags. 1847 P. Livingston Poems 44:
In the solemn midnight hour: I tauld you warlock stories.Arg. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xxxv.:
Nane o' your warlock canticles!Ags. 1923 V. Jacob Songs 32:
The wind cried frae the western airt Like warlock tongues at strife.

(3) Special combs.: (i) warlock-breef, lit., a written commission to be a warlock, a magic charm, supernatural power. See Brief, n.¹; (ii) warlock fecket, see quot. and Fecket; (iii) warlockry, supernatural or magical power, wizardry (Sc. 1825 Jam.).(i) Ayr. 1786 Burns To J. Smith iii.:
Ye surely hae some warlock-breef Owre human hearts.(ii) Dmf. 1808 R. Cromek Remains 281:
Jackets, woven of water snake skins, at a certain time of a March moon, were much in vogue among the crusading servants of Satan; and are yet remembered by the name of warlock feckets.

2. As a term of disparagement: an old, ugly or misanthropic man; a mischievous or troublesome fellow. Also attrib. Dim. ¶warlokin.Kcd. 1820 E. Tevendale Poems 31:
Frosty beardit warlock bodie.Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 204:
It's awfu' an' unkent the ill, This warlo'kin has wrought man.Abd. 1926 L. Moon Drumorty 99:
A witless warlock who was by nature bound to ruin any piece of cloth into which he put a pair of shears.