Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HARROWBILL, n. Also †harrowbell; harrowbul (Sc. 1803 W. Nicol Pract. Planter 39); †harobill, harroble, -abel; †hurrobill. [′hɑrɔbəl]

1. One of the cross-bars or spars of a harrow (Ork. 1887 Jam.).Ags. 1702 R. Finlayson Arbroath Documents (1923):
Ane barrow, 4 hurrobills and 12 scowes.Ork. 1734 P. Ork. A.S. (1923) I. 65:
Six new ploughs, three new birks, three harrowbells, one hand speck, Seven souples, five old shovels and one new.Bnff. 1780 Aberdeen Jnl. (9 Oct.):
A great Parcel of Birch Axletrees and Harrowbills of a very large size.

Hence harbilly, adj., like a harrow, and, by extension, rough and prickly; used esp. of a stocking knitted tightly in a coarse wool (Ork. 1929 Marw.).

2. A kind of hard wood formerly imported into Shetland from Norway (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928), harrabel), prob. so called from its use in the manufacture of harrows.

3. A miserable, bony animal, emaciated person. Also used attrib.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
A harrabel o' bens, a living skeleton . . . a harrabel craeter.