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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.

COBLE, Cobble, n.3 Also dim. coblie.

1. “A place for steeping malt, in order to brewing” (Sc. 1808 Jam.).Ags. 1707 Inventory of Buildings (per Fif.1):
Item: The Malt bame and Stone Coble.
Ags. 1715 Marriage Contract (per Fif.1):
The malt bame kiln and coble and haill pertinents thereto.

2. A water hole for steeping flax. Also cobble-hole.Abd. 1913 J. Allardyce Byegone Days in Abdsh. 178:
The flax seed was sown in April, and the crop pulled about the 1st of August. Bound in sheaves and put in stooks for a time to dry, it was then steeped in water in the “lint cobble” for ten days.
Ant. 1909 Colville 175:
I was forcibly shown what the old-time cobble-hole was when travelling through Antrim. The bundles of flax are kept down in water-pits, during the stage of putrefaction, by rounded stones.

3. “A watering place for cattle, a small pond” (Mry.1 1925; Bnff.2, Abd.2 1936, Cai. 1960). Apparently confined to ne.Sc.Abd.(D) 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb ii.:
Here's a bit coblie o' fine clear caller water; we'll gi'e the beast a drink, an' lat 'er get a mou'fu o' girss.

4. “A square seat, or what is otherwise called a table-seat, in a church; most probably denominated from its fancied resemblanee to the place in which malt is steeped” (Sc. 1825 Jam.2).Ags. 1910 J. Malcolm Monifieth 83: 
For the elders, the choir, and some families were boxed-in pews known as "cobbles".

[Prob. a transferred meaning of Coble, n.2, above. Sense 1 is given under that heading in D.O.S.T. (first date 1519).]

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"Coble n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 1 Nov 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/coble_n3>

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