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.
Cluke, Cluik, n. Also: cluk, clwik, clewk, clook. [Northern and early southern ME. cloke, of obscure origin.] A claw.a1400 Leg. S. xviii. 1418.
The lyone mad the grawe in hy, With his clukis that ware mychty Ib. xxviii. 184.
Of his wil set ded he tuk, To wyne ws fra the feyndis cluk 1456 Hay I. 29/30.
A scorpioun ... the quhilk ... softly clawis with hir clukis a1500 Henr. Fab. 339.
Scho … be the cluke thair craftelie can hing Ib. 2884.
With ane wisk, … He claucht his cluik betuix thame in the threid 1504–5 Treas. Acc. III. 90.
Ane blew steik of say … for the toungis and clukis for the lioun in the banar c1500 Rowll Cursing 107.
Thair sall thay kary in thair clukis Sum libberlais, and sum hell crukis c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxxiii. 86.
The bissart … was so cleverus of hir clvik Ib. 118.
Had he reveild bene to the rwikis, Thay had him revin all with thair clwikis 1513 Doug. ix. iv. 82.
The egill, … Within hys bowand clukis had up clawcht A ȝong cygnet Ib. xii. v. 84. 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 1169.
With that the gled the pece claucht in his cluke 1533 Bell. Livy I. 80/24.
Ane erne … flew abone the cheriot, berand the hat in to her clukis 15.. Clar. i. 963.
His [the lion's] awfull cluikis was lang and square 1570 Sat. P. xv. 55.
Ȝe gleds and howlets, rauins and rukis, … Thair guttis mot be among ȝour cluikis a1586 Lindsay MS. 39 b.
Amang bestis [and] armit with bestis clewkis 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. xix.
The gorgoull and the graip, … Thame drugand and ruging, With thair maist cruell clukis 1623 Craig iv. 14/4.
Betwixt his clookes hee cleekes her through the aire
