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.
S(c)hok, n. Also: shoak. [ME and e.m.E. shock (1387–8) a group of sheaves, (Lydgate) a crowd (of persons), (19th c. Eng. also = a heap or bundle of things). Cf. OSaxon scok some definite number of sheaves, MLG schok group of 60 units, MHG schoc heap, crowd, multitude, also = sixty, MSw. skokk crowd, flock, Norw. skok flock, Dan. dial. skok six sheaves.] a. A roll (of cloth). b. In a shoak, in a closely-knit group, as one person. —a. 1607 Edinb. Test. XLIII 20.
Ane schok of poldauie contenand xxx elnes 1612 Bk. Rates (Halyb.) 318.
Poldaveis the shok contening xxviii elnis, xv li. —b. c1670 Sempill P. lxxiii.
Then they three limmers in a shoak [: took, cloak] Bad Limmerfield adieu
