Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1836, 1916
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
‡LIVER, v.2, n.2 Also layver, leyver. [Cai. ′laɪvər, Gall. ′lɪvər]
I. v. To thicken soup by the addition of meal or flour (Cai. 1911 John o' Groat Jnl. (12 June)), also fig.; to make a kind of paste or thin porridge of flour by stirring it into boiling water or milk (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., leyver). Vbl.n. liverin, layvreen, thickening for soup (Cai. 1919 T.S.D.C.; Sh., Cai. 1961); a mixture of meal or flour and salt with milk or water boiled up as a dish (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Ork. 1929 Marw.). Adj. liverie, of soup: thickened (Wgt. 1961).Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. (Dec.) 592:
Osla wiz linkin up da kruk ta pitt on da layvreen.Cai. 1916 J. Mowat Cai. Proverbs 5:
It's nae worth kail livered wi' aise [as an expression of contempt].
II. n. Thickening. Only in phr. as thick as liver (Kcb.10 1961).
[Norw. dial. liv(e)r, a soft, thick mass, clot, as of blood, livrast, to coagulate, Dan. dial. livver, jelly-like mass, orig. the same word as liver, the bodily organ, prob. with influence from Lithe, v.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Liver v.2, n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 15 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/liver_v2_n2>
