A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1513-1612
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Bird-lime, Burd lyme, n. Also: bird-, byrd lyme. [e.m.E. bird lyme, ME. bryde lyme (c 1440).] Birdlime. 1513 Doug. viii. Prol. 71.
Thar luffis ar byrd lyme 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 87/16.
Ane twn … with pick, birdlime and siclike wair a1568 Scott i. 156.
Till land men with that leud burd lyme ar lyttit a1568 Ib. xxxiv. 70.
Ȝour lippis ar lyk burd lyme 1612 Bk. Rates 290.
Birdlyme the hundrethweght, xviii li.
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"Bird-lime n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 11 Jul 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/bird_lime>
