Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DROSS, n. Sc. usage of Eng. dross.
1. The afterbirth of a cow (Ork. 1929 Marw.).
2. Coal-dust, small coal.Sc. 2002 Daily Record 2 Feb 32:
The most common crime in Fife was "stealing" waste coal from pit bings. People were criminalised for trying to keep their families warm with dross the Coal Board had dumped.Abd. 1998 Sheena Blackhall The Bonsai Grower 62:
Syne, he'd aye tak fower strides frae the door ben the lobby inno the parlour an send a cauld waucht o air innower, faniver he opened the door, garrin the flames lowp abeen the clags o dross an bankit peat.em.Sc. 1999 Ian Rankin Dead Souls 257:
You could follow it all the way to the bing - the hill-sized mound of dross and coal-shavings which the local colliery had deposited.wm.Sc. 1991 Janice Galloway Blood (1992) 10:
On the lower part of the surround are a poker and a tongs with thistle tops and a matchbox... Behind the fireguard, the coals smoke with dross.Gsw. 1926 Neil Munro Erchie & Jimmy Swan (1993) 313:
Already, a well-filled [coal] bunker in the home is better than a book-case ... Ye'll no have ony dross ye could spare?Gsw. 1985 Anna Blair Tea at Miss Cranston's 115:
When it was goin' nice it got banked up wi' dross and let burn low till the next night under the big kettles and pots so there was lots of hot water for the bath.Lnk. 1997 Duncan Glen From Upland Man 5:
Soon Andrew said, "I'll tak his big pownie and cairt
for the dross the day."
3. Small change (Bnff., Ags., Fif., Ayr., Rxb. 2000s).
