A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1951 (DOST Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1500-1512, 1567-1605
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Gek, Geck, n. Also: gect. [e.m.E. geck (1576), Du. and LG. gek, (Ger. geck.] A gesture of derision; a mocking remark, a gibe; a scornful trick, esp. in to get, or give, a geck. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxvi. 30.
Than all the feyndis lewche, and maid gekkis a 1568 Satirical Poems xlvii. 84.
Now better war lat bee Nor to begin to gett your selffis ane geck 1583 Ib. xlv. 898.
The first merchant he cleane forsuike, Gave him the geck, and lat him gea c1590 J. Stewart 219 § 78.
Thay gaue me also monie tanting gect [: sect] c1590 Ib. 235 § 143. a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 1085.
‘Gudeman, gramercy for ȝour geck’, Quod Hope 1603 Philotus xiv.
Quhen he is gane, giue him ane geck 1603 Ib. lxxviii.
The carle … I think sall get ane geck
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Gek n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/gek_n>
