Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BUCKET, n. Applications of St.Eng. bucket not in common Eng. use. Cf. Buckie.

1. A cant term for a glass of spirits. Also as denoting someone's capacity for drink, e.g. “He can tak a fair bucket.” Gen.Sc.Mry. 1865 W. H. L. Tester Poems 150:
Tam an' him bade at their bucket, Deil a ither soul wan ben.Ayr. 1870 J. K. Hunter Life Studies of Char. xx.:
A rest for twa-three minutes, and a bucket the piece wad be acceptable.

†2. A big, loose boot.Sc. 1824 S. E. Ferrier Inheritance II. xxv.:
Uncle Adam walked up and down, . . . his own huge leathern buckets creaking at every step.

†3. Comb.: bucket-pat, in salt-making: “the reservoir that held the sea water that was to be subjected to the process of evaporation” (Lnl. 1845 Stat. Acc.² II. 75).m.Lth. 1739 Caled. Mercury (6 Dec.):
Three good Salt-pans with a sufficient Bucket-pot, large Salt girnels.

4. A dustbin; also used of rubbish in plastic sacks etc. (Sh., Abd., Edb., Ayr., Dmf., Rxb. 2003). Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 30:
"It wis a guid fur coat and that monster buggered it up. I couldnae wear it again. I hid tae throw it oot tae the bucket."Edb. 1995 Irvine Welsh Marabou Stork Nightmares (1996) 24:
This country's gaun tae the dogs. Aw they strikes; cannae even git yir fuckin bucket emptied.Edb. 1997:
It's your turn tae pit the buckets oot. [ie plastic bin bags]Dmf. 2003:
Ocht like a cooker pit oot for the bucket wid be gone in meenits.