Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1728-1991
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GLENT, v., n. See also Glint.
I. v., intr. Strong pa.t. ¶glant; weak pa.t. glented, -it.
1. To gleam, glint, shine, sparkle (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Sh.10, Cai.7, Slg.3, Wgt., Rxb., Uls.4 1952). Also in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 139:
Phoebus well pleas'd, shines from the blew Serene, Glents on the Stream, and guilds the checquer'd Green.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 73:
Whan flowers and gowans wont to glent In bonny blinks upo' the bent.Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 6:
Or whan the simmer glant wi' nature braw . . . He aft wad trystit's a' to tak a rest.Fif. 1811 C. Gray Poems 46:
Her rays . . . glented 'mang the trees.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 199:
'Twas but a sternie glentin' On a pool that night.Abd. 1893 G. Macdonald Songs 12:
A star-beam glents frae yer ee, Nannie.Clc. 1902 J. Christie Poems 137:
Adoon yon wimplin' siller burn, Whaur gowans glent fu' braw.m.Sc. 1991 R. Crombie Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 30:
Nor Hell wi aa its smert:
Anely your bricht een glentan
And your cauld black bitch's hert.
Comb.: †glentin stanes, “small white stones struck or rubbed against each other by children, to strike fire, which they emit accompanied with a smell resembling that of sulphur” (Dmf. 1825 Jam.).
2. (1) To move quickly, to flash (by) (Sh.10 1954); “to pass suddenly; applied to a gleam of light, as a flash of lightning, or any thing that resembles it” (Sc. 1808 Jam.); (2) to glance, strike obliquely.(1) Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 12:
A wrath did glent afore her ein, Swift as the lichtens fly.Dmf. 1817 W. Caesar Poems 150:
Aye, lass, she can flee frae them glentin'.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. ix.:
I could but see them glent by wi' their bridles ringing, and their feathers fluttering, like the court of Elfland.Hdg. 1887 Mod. Sc. Poets X. 334:
The lichtnin' glents zigzag.(2) Rxb. 1951 per Rxb.4:
The stane just glented off the side o' the wundae.
3. To take a sidelong glance; to peep; to squint (Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems, Gl.; Sh.10 1954). Also in Eng. dial.Sc. 1787 W. Taylor Sc. Poems 176:
An' close-mou' Lasses wont to glent, As blinkin gowans o' the bent.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 27:
Now, through the wattled stakes wi' glentin look, He peeps upo' his prey.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 319:
An' whyles ne'er a word he can find oot to say, For glentin' an' glimin' at Meggie M'Givelry.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., obsol.:
What ir ee glentin' at?
4. tr. Of the eyes: (1) to flash (fire) (Sh.10 1954); (2) to cast (the eye) (Id.).(1) Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry 154:
Ae Lollard man got ere he wist A lounder frae a Papish fist, That garr'd his een glent fire.(2) Rxb. 1830 in Border Mag. (1881) II. 126:
Glentin' . . . his restless eye roond him.
II. n. 1. (1) A gleam, a flash (of light) (Sh.10, Rxb.5 1954). Also in n.Eng. dial.Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 148:
Unlockt the Barn, clam up the Mou, Where was an Opening near the Hou, Throw whilk he saw a Glent of Light.Wgt. 1877 G. Fraser Sketches 209:
'Twas an eerie nicht, an' the storm-cluds lower'd An, the lichtnin's glent was keen.Abd. 1910 Abd. Jnl. N. & Q. III. 26:
An' glents wad be gleamin' an flichterin' around.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
The glent o' siller.m.Sc. 1991 Tony McManus in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 154:
Rise quick in the gowden mid-day sun,
The reid glent in my dochter's wund-flaucht hair?
An frae whit marvellous, ayebidin sea
Hence glentie, adj., glistening (Rxb. 1942 Zai).
(2) fig. in phr. in a glent, in a flash, in a moment (Sh.10 1954).Abd. p.1768 A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 202:
Out thro' the trees she scours wi' a' her might, An' in a glent she's safe an' out o' sight.Per. 1802 S. Kerr Poems 24:
I wisht them a' ayont Dumblane, For in a glent, baith chiels war gane.Kcb. 1848 J. Hughan Poems 13:
Behind their han' just in a glent.
2. (1) A look, a glance (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Sh., Dmf., Slk. 1954); (2) a glimpse, a transient view (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Sh., Wgt., Rxb., Slk. 1954). Common in Eng. dial.(1) Gall. 1796 J. Lauderdale Poems 21:
. . . ne'er a cuif Durst cast his eye, to gie a glent Up to the roof.s.Sc. 1834 Wilson's Tales of the Borders I. 17:
While Peter . . . giving a scowling glent at the stammerer, would give a sort of significant nod to his fist.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xlvi.:
Peter gya a kin' o' a skair't glent.Dmf. 1915 J. L. Waugh Betty Grier 145:
A' I was conscious o' was the kindly glent o' twae big dark een.Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 18:
He wusht for warlock wings to flee, Cuist ae last glent athort the sea.(2) Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
A got a glent o'd.
3. A glancing blow, a slap (Dmf. 1954).Dmf. 1825 Jam.:
I'll tak ye a glent below the haffets.Gall. 1912 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 291:
A glent on the chafts.
