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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1963 (DOST Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Huke, Huik, Hewk, n.¹ Also: huk(k, hwk(e, hwik, hu-, hwick, heuk, howk, hou(c)k; Heuk, Hook. [ME. hooke, hok(e, hoc. OE. hóc.]

1. A reaping-hook, a sickle.Also corn huke, schering huke (q.v.).(a) a1400 Leg. S. xl. 94.
He vm[be]thocht [hym] he wald luke Gyf he in sic corne cuth set huke 1489 Acta Conc. 106/2.
A cruk, … v hukis 1493 Ib. 288/1.
A cruk, thre hukkis, … a pet spaid a1500 Bk. Chess 1356.
This teileman has a huke to cut his corne 1513 Doug. iv. ix. 84.
Spryngand herbys eftir the cours of the moyn War socht, and with brasyn hukis cuttit soyn, To get thar mylky sap and vennom blak Ib. vii. x. 80.
Cultyris … with sythis and al hukis at scheris quhet 1531 Bell. Boece II. 294.
Skrimgeour … hes in his baner, ane crukit swerd, in maner of ane huke 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 135.
The heire sall haue … ane huke, ane pleugh(b) a1400 Leg. S. i. 224.
I … in the corn myn howk doun lade 1699 Foulis Acc. Bk. 256.
For a houck (4/-)(c) 1513 Doug. vii. iv. 67 (Sm).
The cruikit huik vndir his weid held he a1585 Maitl. Q. xcv. 26.
O cruel deith, thow wes nocht ȝit content To cutt this noble Lord with thy scharp huik 1596 Reg. Privy C. V. 275.
Taking of the sheiraris huikis fra thame and stopping thame to sheir the cornis 1597 Brechin Test. I. 149 b.
Sex firlottis eaitis, … Item thre huikis 1639 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 487.
He was restand to the persewar … aucht punds … the maill of thrie huiks land(d) 1583 St. A. Test. II. b.
Ane new sek … , ane hwik 1617 Montgomery Mem. 276.
For ane hwik to scheir gers with 1643 Acts VI. 25/1.
2000 hwickis and 100 sythes for sheiring and mawing(e) c1520-c1535 Nisbet III. 262/3.
Thai sal well togiddir thar suerdis into cultiris, and thar speris into heukis (or sythes) c1520-c1535 Ib. Mark iv. 29.
Anoon he sendis the hewk, for schering tyme is cummyn

b. A reaper with a hook. 1511 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. I. 104.
Ilkane of the said personis sall … pay … four fowlis and tua huks ane day in harsit 1517 Fife Sheriff Ct. 79.
Quhilkis landis … gevis of ȝerly maile … vj cane foulis with tua hukis in hervist quhile the corne be schorne 1639 Aberd. Sheriff Ct. II. 487.
Four poundis sex schillingis … for ane huiks fie 1642 Ib. III. 37.
Ane bandwin of huiks ane day in harvest yeirlie 1643 Elgin Rec. I. 277.
Huikis in harvest scheiring on the landis haldin of the toun Ib.
The … libertie of feing of huiks in harvest 1657 Cramond Cullen Ann. 47.
The best man huick sall have onlie in tyme of harvest £5 . ., the second man huick £3, [etc.]

2. A fish-hook, or one similarly used. Also freq. fig.(a) c1460 Wisd. Sol. 748.
As fisch ar tan with hukis a1500 Henr. Fab. 1994.
I can nouther fische with huke nor net 1535 Stewart 3641.
Upoun ane huke the hungrie fische to tak 1558 Rentale Dunkeld. 355.
For lynis and iij hundreth hukis on thame a1568 Scott xxxiv. 3.
Ȝe blindit luiffarris luke … Espy the snair and hwke c1600 Montg. Suppl. 199/34.
Thay hukis that hundrethe hes orthraune(b) c1552 Lynd. Mon. 4753.
Bot thay have spred thair net with huik and lyne On rentis ryche 1565 Inverness B. Rec. I. 126.
To refound … vij stringis of lynes, thre hundreth huikis a1585 Arbuthnot Maitl. Q. xlv. 30.
Gaine is my huik and cuttit is my lyne, Amang thir poetis I will fische na mair 1582 Reg. Privy C. III. 624.
Be casting of … huikis with bait and burris to … alluir the auld solane geise to the boittis a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xlvii. 87.
On kitlest huiks the sliest baits they are ?1549 Monro W. Isles 62.
Within this cove ther uses whytteins to be slain with huikes 1622-6 Bisset ll. 258/21.
Nettis, … lynis, huikis … aucht nocht to be pillaige(c) 1571 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 674.
Cum … piscationibus et lie bait, hwik, et lyne 1592 Acts III. 614/1.
To slay and distroy the saidis solane geis be casting of neittis and hwikis ?1549 Monro W. Isles (Sibbald) 21.
Within this cove thair uses quhyles to be slane with hwikis verie mony haddockis & quhyttingis(d) c1520-c1535 Nisbet Matth. xvii. 27.
Ga thou to the see, and cast ane hewk, and tak the ilk fisch that first cummis vp

3. A barb of an arrow. c1420 Wynt. ii. 37.
Thare in he set a brade arowe That to the hwkis [C. hukys] wpe he drwe Ib. ix. 3059. c1475 Wall. iv. 553.
Ane angell hede to the hukis he drcw a1605 Montg. Misc. P. xxviii. 57.
Eviry shaft must … haif als mony heeds And euirie head als mony huikis And euirie huik als mony fluikis

4. A hook, in various senses. a1400 Leg. S. i. 851.
Foure quhelis … Of the quhilkis the felyis all With scharpe houkis fichit be sall, & all the spakis … Sall be fichit with hukis sere 1506 Treas. Acc. III. 48.
For j^c gretar hukis callit crochattis 1561 Ib. XI. 116.
Towis, wandis, ringis, huikis, and ane stik to the anker 1596 Dalr. I. 90/26.
Thay war harnest with jacks al wouen throuch with yrne huikes, quhilkes habbirgeounis thay cal 1606 Edinb. Test. XLII. 80.
Four clouttis of huikis, … twa clouttis neiddillis 1633 M. Works Acc. XXVIII. 24.
xxx huikes for walplaites at ij s the peice 1653 Edinb. Test. LXVII. 10.
xxv paipers of steill huicks

5. Attrib. and comb. with maker, prein, wire.(1) 1557 Sutherland Chart. 119.
Duodecim denarios lie huik siluir 1618 Edinb. Test. L. 62 b.
Tuentie tua pundis … weycht huik silver(2) 1541 Aberd. B. Rec. MS. XVII. (Jam.).
Topping of wax, tar, pik, irn & huik-wair 1578 Edinb. Test. VI. 347.
Ane hank of huke wyre 1607 Ib. XLII. 244 b.
Sax paper of huik preins(3) 1582 Crail B. Ct. 1 June.
Huikmaker 1615 Edinb. Test. XLIX. 13.
Thomas Thomsone, huikmaker in Fischeraw