A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Scart, Skart, Skrat, v. [ME and e.m.E. scratte(n (a1225), skratt(e (c1440), scrat (c1500), MSw. kratta, OF gratter (1155 (Wace) in Larousse), esgrater (Godefroy), f. Gmc. *kratton.]
1. tr. To scratch, lacerate or mark (a person, his (one's own) face, etc.) with the nails, etc. Also in fig. context. b. To be skarted (in the leg), to be lightly wounded.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxvii 249.
With hyre handis [she] skartyt hir face c1500-c1512 Dunb. Tua Mar. W. 93.
To se him scart his awin skyn grit scunner I think 1513 Doug. xii x 129.
Hyr rosy chekis to tor and scartis sche 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1171.
Scho … Raif doun hir hair and skartit hir visage Ib. 2726.
Scho … began to skart and rife hir skin 1566 Inverness Rec. I 138.
The said Elspet and Mareoun … drew her hayr, scartit hyr face [etc.] a1568 Bann. MS 134a/39.
I sall ȝow skart quhill that ȝe bleid ?1586 Glasgow Prot. IX 155.
The said Bessie … hes skartit me with hir naillis c1590 J. Stewart 94/524.
His hands outragius did his visage skart Maist horribile 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 231.
The said Robert … flew on his face and … skarted him ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 20.
Scartavit prælustre caput Ib. 161.
Formosas scartabo facies & vos wirriabo 1670 Old Ross-shire I 308.
They … beat, abuse and scart us with their hands a1689 Cleland 34.
Then up with plaids and scarts her thighs(b) a1400 Leg. S. xxxi 365.
Hyr face scho skratit Ib. 523.
Mad hyr sa bludy & bla, & skratit hir [etc.]fig. a1689 Cleland 89.
Some eminent divines Makes their assertions here to thwart, And one anothers cheeks to scartabsol. a1568 Bann. MS 158b/86.
He seikis for his sark Ay to skart and to claw is his first wark a1605 Montg. Flyt. 486 (H).
It skittered, it scarted; they skirlde ilk aneb. 1650 Johnston Diary II 6.
Cromwel skarted in his legg; Col Hacker killed
2. To scratch aside (earth) in the process of digging; to tear (a hole) in (something) by scratching.1590 Burel Pilgr. i 191.
The modiwart … Quho fast the eirth culd scraip and scart 1658 R. Moray Lett. fol. 219.
A bustle will claw his womb long before he skart a hole in it
b. To scart (a person) out of eird, to dig up by scratching or scraping with the hands or nails.1560 Rolland Seven S. 5737.
Quhen he [sc. your son] is deid ȝe … wald be fane to scart him out of eird
c. intr. Of a hen: to scratch, scrape at a surface (in looking for food).1660 Lanark B. Rec. 181.
For his hen scarting on the baillies house
3. intr. To gather or scrape (items) togidder with difficulty. b. intr. To save parsimoniously.1583 Melvill 159.
Certean articles, (skartit togidder be him,) or rather blottes of that … ordour quhilk sould be in Chryst's Kirkb. 1611-57 Mure True Crucifixe 2573.
If loue of money … Moue thee to scrape, to scart, to pinch, to spare [etc.]
