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.
Quotation dates: 1779
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†COBLETEHOW, n. used attrib. Prob. = a large head-dress, which moves unsteadily with the motion of the wearer. The Gl. to Graham's Writings (1883) suggests "hot-pressed in a fanciful way," but no etym. justification can be found for this meaning.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 139:
He has twa gigglet gilliegaukies o' dochters, comes into the kirk wi their cobletehow mutches frizel'd up as braid's their hips.
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"Cobletehow n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cobletehow>
