Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1797-1932, 1992-1995
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BEAS', Beass, Baess, Beese, Beece, Beis', Bease, Beise, Beiss, n. gen. coll. Also baes (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.: Per. 1932 W. Soutar Poems (1961) 78). See P.L.D. §164.6. Applied most commonly to cattle and horses; but used of beasts generally and also applied to insects and to body and head vermin; often also with a qualifying word as cattle beas (Ags.2). [bæs(t) + bəis + bis I.Sc.; bis Cai. + bəis, Mry., Bnff., w.Abd., m.Sc., s.Sc., Uls.; be1s Ags. and Mearns + bis; bes(t) Deeside (old) + bis] Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 18:
Lintie an laiverok, whaup an houdie craw,
foumart an eimok, houlet, pickmaw,
mowdiewart an horniegollach, brok an tod anaw;
sum gait, thai'r littil sib til Inglish beiss ava. Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.:
Beas, cattle — beasts; living creatures.Sh.(D) 1924 T. Manson Humours Peat Comm. III. 172:
Dir plenty o room, an dir no baess or weemen aboot.Cai.(D) 1909 D. Houston 'E Silkie Man 11:
We've nee hed muckle luck wi' 'e beis' ony wy sin' Kirsty geed fe's.Cai. 1992 James Miller A Fine White Stoor 161:
Tanster's a fine herd o beise there, fine black stirkies. Mry.(D) 1897 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sketches 20:
I've deen (done) a bittie at the buyin' o' beas' in my time.Bnff.2 1932:
Fin I lookit inta the vratch's bed it wiz jist crawlin' wi' beese.w.Abd. 1797–1881 Mem. of J. Geddes (1899) 34:
He was, therefore, never happy save among the nolt, or, as he called them, "the Beass."Ags.9 1926:
Laddie ye're scartin' your heid as gin it was fu' o' baess.Knr. 1891 "H. Haliburton" Ochil Idylls 46:
We've raw'd oor neeps, an' made oor hey, An' towl'd amang the weet like beass!Edb. 1894 P. H. Hunter J. Inwick 83:
They mind me o' thae insec's the minister was readin oot aboot the tither Sunday — thae locus' beas' that cam up in a michty swarm.Gall.(D) 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 163:
It's a pity they'r gaun oot o' fashion, for they'r gran' beass, but they'r no gude milkers.Rxb.(D) 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes an Knowes 1:
Bit fient a steekin bull ti yoke on ov a body, for the bease war mensefih.Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.:
Beece, cattle; beasts. Also used attrib.Bnff.2 1932:
It's been a sod hairst, an' beese maet'll be scarce this winter.
