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.
Quotation dates: <1375, 1375, 1542-1700+
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Scummar, -er, n. Also: skummar; skom(m)er, scomour, skummer, scwmmar, skwmmer, scowmar, scumer, skumar, -er, skemmare. [ME and e.m.E. schumour in sense 1 below (north., 1326), scomor (1399), skumour a pirate (1398), scummer (1582); also skemour (1392), -ere (c1440), skymoure (c1430), -er (1459), skimmer (a1490); in sense 1 ‘after OF escumoir (mod. F. écumoire), in sense 2 after escumeor (mod. F. écumeur)’ (OED), both f. escumer to skim.]
1. A shallow ladle, or other utensil, for removing floating matter from the surface of a liquid; a scummer. Also attrib.(a) 1329 Exchequer Rolls I 228.
ij myour et j scomour 1331 Exchequer Rolls I 379.
v cratis ferreis pro coquina, et v scomours 1597 Edinburgh Testaments XXX 290b.
xxxvij skommeris of yron at xviij d. the pece 1648 Linlithgow Palace 332.
Ane laddell, ane skomer, ane brander(b) 1542 Acts & Decr. I 140b.
Ane frying pan price tua merk ane skummer of fische price xiiij s. c1572 Mar & Kellie MSS Suppl. 31.
Tua laiddillis and a skummer 1589 Edinb. B. Rec. IV 540.
Twa skwmmeris, 5 s. 4 d. 1627 Glasg. Univ. Mun. III 529.
Twa laidles and ane scummer 1646 Edinburgh Testaments LXII 68.
Ane skummer with ane flaming ladill 1683 Inv. in Donibristle Mun. (Earl of Moray's MSS) 4 (9-10 May).
A skummer(c) 1597 Household Bks. Jas. VI and Anne 27 Feb.
Ane skumar 1631 Buccleuch Household Bk. 26 Sept.
A skumer of bras 1635 Haddington Corr. 303.
In the kitching … ane laydle, ane skumer 1661 Buccleuch Mun. 314.
Scumer 1715 Household Bk. Gr. Baillie 184.
A brass ladle and skumer(d) 1565 Protocol Book of Thomas Johnsoun 97.
3 yrne ladillis, 2 skemmaresattrib. 1562 6th Rep. Hist. MSS App. 649/1.
Ane skummer ladill
2. A sea-rover, pirate. [Cf. F. écumeur de la mer.]1375 Barb. xiv 375.
A scowmar [C. scummar, 1571 scwmmar] of the se, Thomas of Downe hattyn wes he, … salyt wp the Ban
3. One who gathers scum. Only fig.1653 Urquhart Rabelais ii xxx.
Pope Boniface VIII, a scummer of pots
