Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1754-1839
[0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
GLIMMER, v. Sc. usages: to blink, to wink, to look unsteadily (Sc. 1808 Jam.), to blink, as from defective sight (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; Bnff.7 1927; Ork., Ags., Arg., Ayr., Kcb. 1954). Ppl.adj. glimmerin, of eyes: half-closed; peering as if short-sighted (Bnff.16, Abd. 1954). Comb. glimmer-e'ed, id. (Ayr. 1954). With owre: to overlook, to wink at, be tolerant with.Rnf. 1754 Session Papers, Cumming v. Cross (8 Dec.) 2:
John Cumming holding his Hand on his left Eye, which glimmered a little when he took away his Hand.Sc. 1799 A Butter'd Slice 12:
His ha'f-steek'd een began to glimmer.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 344:
The miller's muse, tho', is unfit To praise thee, Johnie, for thy wit, But, like a wise man, ye'll submit To glimmer owre me.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 160–161:
They fix their glimmerin een upon your face . . . and keep nid-noddin upon you . . . the blue-veined violet eyelids close.Cai. 1829 J. Hay Poems 130:
Which threw her braidways on her rump, Till baith her een did glimmer.Abd. 1839 A. Walker De'il at Baldarroch 32:
O Whisky, thou's a subtile limmer, . . . But mony ane thou's made to glimmer.
