A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1475
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(Pirl,) Pyrl, v. [Cf. ME. birl to prick, pierce or stab (c 1400), also e.m.E. pirl (c 1500) tr. to twist, curl, (1791) cause to revolve, also (spec., in the mod. Sc. dial.) to manoeuvre by prodding and intr. to curl. Cf. Pirl-pig, Pirl-silver.] intr. To thrust or poke at. — c1475 Acts of Schir William Wallace vi. 473.
Sum brak a pott, sum pyrlit at his e
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"Pirl v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/pirl>
