A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Sink, n.1 Also: sinke, synk(e, sinck(e, (sinct). [Late ME synke (Prompt. Parv.), e.m.E. sink(e (1515); Sink v.]
1. a. A pit or pool designed to contain water or sewage; a cesspool. b. A drain, gutter or pipe for carrying away (rain) water or sewage; a sewer or drainage ditch.Also fig.In some quots., it is unclear which of the above senses is intended.a., b. 1533 Bell. Livy I 88/12.
He drewe mony closettis, condittis, & synkis fra the hicht of the toun to the merkett and vthir law partis thareof, to purge the sammyn of all corruptioun and filth 1551 Dundee B. Ct. II fol. 110 (9 Nov.).
The said Jhone sall caus the watter that ran endlangis the said lordis gawill to run southwart ower his awyn gallary vpon his awine grond and fall in his awyn ȝaird and thare eftir to be lattine ryn in the said lordis synk vnder the erd 1553 Prot. Bk. R. Lumsdane 15.
Ane watter synk … passand betuix the nache and the hard quhill it cum doun fornent the croce callit clerkis croce 1553 Prot. Bk. R. Lumsdane 15.
Discendand the synk and watter passaig to the calsay … callit the kyrk furd 1557 Reg. Privy S. V i 28/1.
To big and haif volt or voltis, sink or sinkis, under the calsay of the said burgh 1576–7 Reg. Privy S. VII 134/1.
Aquaria et aque passagia (vulgo lie synkis et watter passageis nuncupata) 1604 James VI Tobacco 98/19.
He that will refuse to take a pipe of tobacco among his fellowes (though by his owne election he would rather feele the sauour of a sinke) is accounted peeuish 1610 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 62.
[To] cast ane synk in the wester muir to keip the quarrell drye 1616 Aberd. B. Rec. II 340.
With ane devyse … for sinkis to serve the haill houssis and to discend in tua cobbillis … in the northermost voult 1630 Dumbarton B. Rec. 33.
That all the persounis within quhase boundis the comoun sinks ar, causey the same with diligence, and make them passable 1654 Aberd. B. Rec. IV 143.
[Pigs] doe converse in all the filthie dunghillis, middings, gutters and sinkes of all sorts of excrements 1663 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. I 388. 1666 Edinb. B. Rec. X 12.
The thesaurer … [is] to consult tradsmen how the sink may be removed at the bak of the colledge 1680 Rothesay B. Rec. 376.
They have unanimously considered to give him the samen [sc. ground] he leaving roome for a sink to let the watter run alongst the street 1681 Stair Inst. ii vii § 8.
What hath been said of stillicides holdeth more apparently in sinks, either for conveying of water, filth or any thing else, upon, or through, the neighbour's tenements 1688–9 Glasgow B. Rec. III 515.
For dichting the sinck at the back of the tolboothfig. 1567 G. Ball. 185.
The watter of life we gaif thame neuer to drink, Bot stinkand pulis of euerie rottin synk 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1894) 528.
I see nothing in this life but sinks, and mires, and dreams, and beguiling ditches
c. A water-filled pit in which executions by drowning were carried out.1533 Boece 471.
That all barouns suld mak synkis and depe pulis [L. puteos] within thare landis, to punys wemen condampnit for crimez
2. A pit dug to contain and support the mould during the casting of a gun.1541 Treas. Acc. VIII 125.
Gevin to v men … making and drying of the mulde and spindill, casting of the sink, clengeing of the furnes [etc.] 1542 Treas. Acc. VIII 126.
Clengeing of the sink and rynnyng of the mettell
3. A mine-shaft. Also, with various qualifying terms describing the nature or purpose of the shaft. Also attrib.Blind sink, an underground seam; a shaft from a lower to an upper seam underground.(1) 1554 Reg. Privy S. IV 497/1.
With power to the said Robert [tacksman of the coalheuch of Linlithgow] to cast and wyn sinkis 1567–8 Reg. Privy C. I 612.
To serche out win and discover, the saidis gold and silver myndis, and to brek the ground, mak sinkis and pottis thairin [etc.] 1576 Crail B. Ct. MS 26 June.
The wynneris and workaris … hawe libertie and licence to cast synkis in ony parte 1602 Haigh Mining P. 12 Oct.
To big … and vphald sum … wallis or dykis about euerie sink and holl quhilk thay … work in the said myndis 1609 Edinb. B. Rec. VI 56.
Liberty … to mak sinks and air hoillis for wynning of coill 1650 M. P. Brown Suppl. Decis. I 470.
He offers to prove … that he had a new sink ready for working, which he was able to toom out or draw off the water within twenty-four hours 1671 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 2a.
Yron to the new sink 1672 Acts VIII 139/2. 1672 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 1 June.
For the four redsmen for beeffing & reding in the yett and casting the sincke that is to be boared in the yett 1672–3 Dunferm. Coal Acc. 17b.
The work all this space wes vseles. The sink being drouned & lost 1674 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 18 April.
For tymbring the new sink 1680 Fawside Coal Compt 64.
For reding the Hacklaw synke 1684 Fawside Coal Compt 125.
For reding the bracke synke 1685 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 3 Oct.
For burring of Ja: Bell ane of the striker[s] of the water who was lost in the sink ?1691 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt.
Given out for sincking the first sinck wpon the jowall coall the lenth of the splentie coall being ane double sinck 1696–1700 Wauchopes 35.
For marking on the sink, a gallon of aill, 16 s.(b) 16… Information of Coalheugh at Campbell in Argyll Mun. (Estates & Forfeitures) MS.
The downe setting of ane sinct and the water work is anough to amount to a thousand pound Scots(2) a1578 Pitsc. II 316/6.
Ane woman … cuist hir sellff in ane coill sink 1672 Sinclair Hydrostaticks 285.
The water runs here of its own accord by a descent to a sink, which is termed a drawing sink 1678 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt.
For bigging a dyk about the deip sink 1679 Fawside Coal Compt 49.
Wncost men for reding the blind sinke 1683 Cochran-Patrick Coinage II 200.
That each possession exceed not fortie eight fathoms from the finding sink 1684 Lauder Observes 120.
The storme … which had destroyed many bridges, milnes, and coall sinksattrib. (1) 1673 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 6 Sept.
Work in the sink ers & filling of bucketis 1680 Fawside Coal Compt 56.
For beireing the synk red 1681 Sheriffhall Coal Accompt 24 Jan.
Payed … for bands makeing to the sinck brakes and for trilling out a staine(2) 1679 Fawside Coal Compt 50.
For a synke buckitt
4. A marsh or bog.1596 Dalr. I 99/15.
Albeit thay be lyke medowis greine abone and lyke fast ȝeard appeir vndirneth, ȝit quhen a man entiris thay sal gaip wyd and swallie him vp … [and] be thir sinkes wil gang nocht only the reiuers … bot the horses in lyke maner 1615 Aberd. B. Rec. II 323.
Discendand doun the said hill … north or thairby to ane sinck at the south syde of the reisk 1670 Kirkcudbr. Sheriff Ct. Processes No. 82 (14 July).
Frome … the sincke of the hille and the sincke that is in the midell of the mosse
