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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BREEL, v.1 “To move with rapidity; as, to breel down the brae, always, or at least generally, applied to the motion of a carriage, and thus implying the idea of the noise made by it” (Border 1825 Jam.2); “to make a noise” (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 91).Per. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Scots 40:
She breisted like a puddy-doo; She tirl'd upon her tipper-taes; And, in a whup, her whurlywas Breel'd owre the caller braes.
Slk. 1985 Walter Elliot Clash-ma-clavers 30:
She roonded by them in a shot
An breeled awae richt oot o sicht.

[Origin uncertain. Phs. a met. form of Birl, v.1, (2), but the vowel change is not easily explained.]

4410

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