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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
†COAL-STEALER-RAKE, n. comb. “A thief, a vagabond, or one who rakes during night for the purpose of depredation” (Rxb. 1825 Jam.2; 1923 Watson W.-B., obs.).
[Coillsteiller and colstailer were already in use in Sc. in the second half of the 17th cent. (D.O.S.T. s.v. cole and coll, coal).]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Coal-stealer-rake n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/coalstealerrake>
