Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BULLAX, BULLAS, BILLAX, n. An axe. Also used attrib. Cf. Bill-aix. [′bʌlɑs Mry.; ′bʌlɑks Bnff.; ′bɪlɑks Wgt.]Mry. 1913 R. Cairns in Kenilworth Mag. II. iii. 54:
A boy at a farm drew my attention to a bullas and its name, while the father pooh-poohed the name though not denying its use.Bnff.7 1928:
Lat's see the bullax there, laddie, till I split up this block.Wgt. 1804 R. Couper Poems II. 86:
Syne flourishin' his billax sheen, He coost his coat and ran.
Comb.: bullax-vricht, “a clumsy, unskilful wright” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 218).
[O.Sc. bul(l)ax, bulle aix, a hatchet (D.O.S.T.); Dan. Buløkse, O.N. bol-øx, wood-axe, from bolr, tree-trunk (Zoëga).]
