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: 1852-1887
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CHIVER, v. A Sc. form (now obs.) of Eng. shiver. The ch forms have been obs. in Eng. since 16th cent. (N.E.D.). Found only as ppl.adj. chiverin, chivery in combs. (see quots.). [′tʃɪvər, ′tʃɪ̢vər]Sc. 1887 Jam.6:
Boys call their bit of bread after bathing, their chiverin piece, or chiverin chow; corr. into chivery chow.Abd. 1852 A. Robb Poems 130:
We rip'd our pouches aye for bread, To be a chiv'rin chow.[Cf. chitterin(g) piece, chitterin chow (see Chitterin' Bit), and chittery chow (see Chitterie-chatterie).]
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"Chiver v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/chiver>
