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.
DUNTER, n.1
1. “One who beats, knocks or dunts” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); used specif. in quot. for one who fulls cloth for blankets.m.Sc. 1863 J. Nicholson Kilwuddie 87:
Jock Galbraith, the blanket dunter, Thinks he'll ne'er get rest ava'.
†2. In pl.: “spirits that inhabited old castles, towers, dungeons of forts, and peels. They make a noise as if they were beating flax, or knocking barley in the hollow of a stone” (s.Sc. c.1880 T. Wilkie in Proc. Bwk. Nat. Club (1916) 101).
3. In granite dressing: a surfacing machine (Abd.27 1950).
4. In comb. cassie-dunter, see Cassie, n.2, (4).
5. Something large of its kind, a “thumper”.Abd. 1949:
I got a great dunter o' a dyeuk's egg oot in the stable.
