Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1790, 1877-1938
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BYRE, n. and v. Also byar (Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep. i. i.; Lnk. 1806 J. Black Falls of Clyde 120). [′bɑɪər, ′bəiər]
1. n. Sc. usages in combs. and phrase: (1) byre-claut, a handled scraper for cleaning out a byre (Ags.1, Kcb.1, Kcb.9 1938); (2) byre-gang, the passage-way in a byre; (3) byre-knot, a way of trussing up the skirt behind, adopted by a milk-maid in a byre; (4) byreman, a cattleman (Bnff.2, Kcb.1 1938); (5) byre-mucker, one who cleans out a byre (Cai.7, Ags.1 1938); see Muck, v.; (6) byre-woman, a woman who looks after the cows (Bnff.2, Kcb.9 1938); (7) to mak' a byre o' yer belly, “to overeat” (Abd.4 1929). (1)Gall.1877 "Saxon" (ed.) Gall. Gossip 57-58:
I hae . . . the very best muck-graips and byre-clauts made.(2)Slg. 1912 J. Bryce Story of a Ploughboy 152:
In the byre-gang I encountered my old tyrant.(3) Per. 1938 J. Macdonald Old Callander 156:
Their skirts conveniently gathered behind in the "byre knot".(4)Rxb. 1915 Kelso Chron. (1 Jan.) 3:
The woman steward, the shepherd and the byreman were generally fixtures.(5) Ayr. 1790 Burns Works (ed. Currie 1800) II. 310:
As ill spelt as country John's billet-doux, or as unsightly a scrawl as Betty Byremucker's answer to it.(6) Gall.(D) 1901 Trotter Gall. Gossip 48:
She wus byre-woman at Barlocco. A suppose A should 'a' ca't her the Dairymaid.
2. v. To put cows in the “byre” or cow-house (Abd.19 1938).Abd.(D) 1924 “Knoweheid” in Swatches o' Hamespun 12:
I'se awa oot te look at a beast we've byre't. He's a bittie aff's feed.
