Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

GNAP, v., n., adj. Also gnape, gnep. Cf. Knap, v., n.³ [(g)nɑp, (g)nɛp (see P.L.D. §66, §136)]

I. v. 1. To crunch, gnaw, bite (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis); to snap (at) (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; ne.Sc. 1954); used of two horses nibbling at each other in a friendly way (Ork.⁵ 1953). Obs. in Eng. since 16th c. Hence gnap hungry, extremely hungry.Mry. 1810 J. Cock Simple Strains 119:
[She] disna spare her cheese an' cakes To had our teeth a gnappin Fu' crump, nae night.Abd. 1881 W. Paul Past & Present 48:
That dog . . . gashin' an' gnappin' there at the fleas.Abd. 1925 A. Murison Rosehearty Rhymes 36:
I saw them [fairies] licht a fire o' sticks An' puff an' blaw, an' gnap.ne.Sc. 1953 Abd. Wkly. Jnl. (20 Aug.):
I've heard . . . a farmer, sitting down to his mid-day meal, saying to his wife: "I'll gae ma maet a gey fleg this day, wumman, for I'm gnap hungry."

Phrs.: (1) gnap-at-the-wa', oatcakes baked hard (Abd. 1954). Cf. (2); (2) gnap-(at)-the-ween (win'), "[oat-] cakes baked very thin; any kind of very light bread" (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 67, -the-ween; Bnff. 1927) or food generally (ne.Sc. 1954); also applied fig. to anything unsubstantial or ephemeral, "such as position, fame, etc." (Bnff.³ c.1920, -at-the-win'); (3) (in) gnap(p)in(g) earnest, (in) dead earnest; also gnap an' [sic] earnest (Abd. 1920 R. H. Calder Gleanings 14).(2) Abd. 1920 A. Robb MS.:
It was the shepherd that back a' the bannocks and he wisna a bad hand at it; he gae them plenty o' grip onywye. He spak o' makin twa bannocks oot o' the peck, so that wisna gnap at the win'.Bnff.¹⁶ 1954:
An old lady said of a thick "piece" given to a child: "Noo, that's nae gnap at the win'."(3) Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 84:
But she in gnapping earnest taks it a', The bargain was that she sud lat's awa'.Abd. 1787 A. Shirrefs Jamie & Bess iii. i.:
It's gnapin' earnest, lass, I mak' you sear.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 144:
It's a' gnappin' earnest; a' body's in a hurry to wun through.

2. Fig. (1) With at: to taunt, to find fault with, snap at (Cai. 1900 E.D.D.).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 67:
He's a nyatterin' bodie: he's eye gnappin' at something.

(2) tr. or with at: To speak mincingly or affectedly, to clip (words) in speaking, specif. of a Sc. speaker affecting English.Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 293:
But keep me frae your travel'd birds, Wha never ance dree'd Fortune's dirds, And only ken to gnap at words.Ags. 1822 A. Balfour Farmers' Three Daughters I. 80:
They say she fetches on the bairns wonderfu'. To be sure she has nane o' your new-fashioned gnappin.Bch. 1832 W. Scott Poems 125:
We maun hae new anes, smooth an' sleek, An' gnap at English when we speak, For that's genteel.Ags. 1875 J. Watson Verse Samples 110:
Gnapin' fine English an' quotin' French plays.Mry. 1889 T. L. Mason Rafford 1:
The common people of almost every parish, though they are sometimes forced to "gnep," in the presence of the Queen's English, retain still, a fondness for "oor auld mither tongue."Bnff.² 1928:
She's been Sooth a gey feylie, an' ye niver hard sic gnepit wirds as she uses.Mry.⁴ 1931:
She was trying to talk her best "Glasgow" — gneppin, in fact.

II. n. 1. A snap with the teeth; a bite, a morsel (Abd.²⁷ 1954). Also fig.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 63:
An' fan I saw their piece was but a gnap, I thought my sell of mending their mishap.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 67:
The nowt hinna a gnap o' streh to pit i' thir hehds.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 5:
We're jist at wir tay. Come awa'; ye'll get a gnap yet.

2. Fig. (1) A snap, a biting remark.Abd. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 83:
He eence tried a bit gnap at John in my hearin" bit aw'm thinkin' he got little cheenge oot o' him.

†(2) In pl.: mincing, affected speech, sc. English.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 5:
Speak my ain leed, 'tis gueed auld Scots I mean, Your Southern gnaps, I count not worth a preen.Mearns 1819 J. Burness Plays, etc. 297:
The niest time that ye rhyme do mak, Let it be Scottish strains; Your southlan gnaps I value not.

III. adj. Hungry, having a good appetite (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff., Add. 225; Bnff.² 1945).