Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
HUMPLE, n. Freq. in dim. forms humplock (wm.Sc. 1957), -lick, -lug (Tyr. 1929 M. Mulcaghey Ballymulcaghey 28).
1. A small heap or mound, gen. of earth, mud or stones, a hillock (Rnf. 1825 Jam.; Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Slg., Fif., wm.Sc., Kcb., Rxb. 1957); a lump.Edb. 1798 D. Crawford Poems 109:
Ne'er stan' at mountain, hill, or humple, 'Tween you an' fame.Sc. 1812 Popular Opinions 87:
Their hurdies o'er wi' ugly humplocks clad.Slg. c.1860 Trans. Slg. Nat. Hist. Soc. (1924) 23:
Ye dash! dash! dash! Regairdless through humplock an' gott, For the gangers on fit your splairges get.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 82:
In a park near to the house was a round humplock, or hill.s.Sc. 1904 W. G. Stevenson Glen Sloken ii.:
“Get on that humplock an' I'll bring the stap fornenst ye,” and Mrs MacPherson mounted a dry mound of road scrapings.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Poems 56:
Black thochts like mowdies delve their oorie wey, And noo and then and here and there they h'ist Their weary humplicks in the mind that stey.Lnk. 1953 Bulletin (19 June):
Compared to the like of Everest, Caledonia's highest mountain is not much more than a humplock.
¶2. A big awkward or clumsy fellow (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
[Hump + le + -ock, -ick dim. suffs.]
