Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DAWK, DAUK, Daugh, Dawgh, Dawch, n.¹, v. [dǫk, dǫx]

1. n. A heavy fog; a thin drizzling rain (Fif. 1825 Jam.², dauk, dawk; Slg. Ib., daugh; Lth., Ayr. Ib., dawk).

Hence dawkie, -y, dauky, daughie, da(wg)hie, moist, damp, gen. used with day, to denote a damp, misty day with little wind (Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1825 Jam.², dawkie, dawky, dauky; Ayr. Ib., dawghie; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl., da(ug)hie; Dmf. 1925 W. A. Scott in Trans. Dmf. and Gall. Antiq. Soc. 23, dawkie). Known to Fif.¹⁰ 1940, daughie.Sc. 1820 Blackwood's Mag. (Nov.) 221:
I was beginning to clear my een frae the dew draps for it was a dawky morning.Fif. 1823 W. Tennant Card. Beaton (1825) 172:
It was a raw dauky sour-lookin' mornin' when we set out, but it's a bra sunny day now.

2. v.

(1) tr. “To moisten as with dew, to damp” (Ayr. 1825 Jam.², dawch).

(2) intr. To rain gently, to drizzle.Hdg. 1885 “S. Mucklebackit” Rural Rhymes and Sketches 242–243:
“Such a rain!” Betimes it dawked, and the sun would bleer out for fully ten minutes and then couch under the cloud-blanket again for a week.