A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2002 (DOST Vol. XII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1499-1513, 1597-1598
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Wisk, Wysk, v. [e.m.E. whysk (1530), whiske (1549), wiske (1623), LG wisken; Quhisk v.]
1. intr. To move quickly with a sweeping motion, to whirl, rush, move briskly. Also const. away.(1) a1500 Henr. Fab. 1922 (Bann.)
Lyke to the mow befoir the face of wind Wiskis [Ch., H., OUP Quhiskis] away a1500 Tale of the Colkelbie Sow ii 159.
I wald up and wisk away full wyld 1513 Doug. iii iv 68.
Bot suddanly, away tha [sc. harpies] wysk ilkane Furth of our sycht, heich vp in the sky(2) 1513 Doug. iv vi 40.
Inpacient, and myndles in hir rage Scho wyskis wild throu the town of Cartage 1513 Doug. iv vii 55.
Scho … Turnys frawart hym, and wyskyt [Ruddim. wiskis] of hys sycht
b. Const. on. Of water: To swirl, swell violently against something. a1500 King Hart 77.
Thair ran ane water void … That on the wallis wiskit, gre be gre, Boldning to ryis the castell to confound
2. tr.a. To move (something) quickly away.b. To chase in swift darting movements; to cause to move to and fro.a. 1513 Doug. viii Prol. 163.
Quhen I walknyt, all that welth was wiskyt [Ruddim. wiskit] awayb. 1513 Doug. xii xii 172.
Fyve tymys … About the feild can thai fle and chais, And als feill sys went turnyng heir and thar Lyke as befor the hund wiskis the hair
3. To brush or rub down (a horse). a1598 Ferg. Prov. MS No. 33 (see Wisp v.).
Wisked
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Wisk v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/wisk_v>
