A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1558-1581
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Clawback, n. [e.m.E. (1549).] One who claws another's back; a sycophant or toady. 1558-66 Knox II. 415.
Thairat wer the Quenis claw-backis mair inrageit than evir thai wer 1573 Satirical Poems xl. 156.
Quhair clawbacks of the Court thocht till abuse him 1581 Ib. xliii. 149.
How mony clawbackes then … Conuenit with Mortoun
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"Clawback n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/clawback>
