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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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LOUNDER, v., adv., n. Also loonder, lunder; lownder; louner, lun(n)er, ¶linner. See P.L.D. §64. [Sc. ′lun(d)ər, ′lʌnd-, Abd., w. and sm.Sc. + ′lʌnər, Abd., Fif. + ′lʌundər]

I. v. 1. tr. To deal heavy blows on, to cudgel, whack, belabour, thrash (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 108; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 256; Ork. 1929 Marw.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai). Gen.Sc., and in n.Eng. dial. Also fig. Vbl.n. lounderin, a severe thrashing, a hiding.Abd. c.1790 in W. Walker Bards Bon-Accord (1887) 304:
When I see our Scots lads, wi' their kilts and cockauds, That sae aften hae lounder'd our foes, man.s.Sc. 1793 T. Scott Poems 363:
May I now be lounder't wi' a kent.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xvii.:
He had gien her a loundering wi' his cane, the neger that he was.Slk. 1820 Hogg Tales (1874) 117:
By my faith, I gae him a hearty loundering, he never gat sic dadds in his life.Gsw. 1863 J. Young Ingle Nook 16:
Her tongue was still [in its prime], sae aff it thunner't, And ilka kimmer tichtly louner't.Ags. 1880 J. E. Watt Poet. Sketches 23:
Deemin' that she sud be loundered Gat rungs an' chased her to the door.Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 62:
He gied her sic a lunnerin that she never forgat it.Arg. 1914 N. Munro New Road xxv.:
Was't he that loundered me?Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 9:
Hei's a naisty bad yin, at is ei — A'll gae um a guid loondereen, at wull A.Abd. 1941 Bon-Accord (27 Nov.) 12:
The mistress wis lunnerin' him up wi' a broken rung for bein' the wyte o' her tribbles an sair beens.ne.Sc. 1952 John R. Allan North-East Lowlands of Scotland (1974) 187:
In the close there were constant mechanters. Plough socks, lying at the stable door, rose up and rapped you on the shins. Yokes and swingletrees lundered you across the shoulders. Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 27:
What gin thai'r wrang an Heivin is here
the-nou amang the laiveroks in
the lift an thai've but feshiont sticks
better ti lounder ither's backs!

Hence ppl.adj. lounderin, of a blow: heavy, severe, stunning (Lth., Cld. 1880 Jam.); fig. very large or impressive of its kind, "thumping" (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).Sc. 1725 Ramsay Gentle Shep.i. ii.:
And may be, in his barlickhoods, ne'er stick To lend his loving wife a loundering lick.Edb. 1869 J. Smith Poems 22:
The callants . . . yell'd an' mell'd wi' lounderin' din.Slg. 1885 W. Towers Poems 66:
It's hard to get a lounderin' bang.

2. intr. To aim or lay on blows, to hit out, to batter, lit. and fig. Also tr. with cognate obj. and fig. in 1893 quot. Gen.Sc.Cai. 1776 Weekly Mag. (25 Jan.) 146:
Syne she may lownder on, an' spill her blood, Put out her een, but never mak her good.Sc. 1834 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) IV. 143:
I ran in amang them wi' my rung, lounderin awa richt and left.Ags. 1879 A. L. Fenton Forfar Poets 149:
Lang she rugged, an' tugged, an' loondered at his legs, his lugs, his hair.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 37:
He lundered on de door wi' feet an' han's.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xxviii.:
Why is all this shame loundered on my head?Fif. 1897 W. Beatty Secretar xi.:
He loundered about him with the flat of his sword.

3. tr. or with at, on: to work with energy and speed at, to speak with vehemence or earnestness about, to hold forth or harp on about (Sh., Abd. 1961); to rail or scold (Gregor); absol. to walk noisily, to clump.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 109:
She lunnert up the washan for ass ill's he wiz. He tried t' prove predesteenation, an' for mair nor twa oors he lunnert at it. Ma laddie's gain' t' the college this year, an' a lunners on at 'im t' pay attention till's lessons.Ork. 1929 Marw.:
He cam lunderan ap the stair.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie in Neil R. MacCallum Lallans 51 (1998) 5:
Tho sees, hid wis like this, he got fairly tired o standan i the sea, so he thowt he wad geung for a wander aroond, an ee bonnie morneen afore the sun raze awa he lundered. Edb. 2001:
He loundered doon the stairs.

4. To skulk, lounge or loaf about. Ppl.adj. loonderin, hulking.Ags. 1895 J. Inglis Oor Ain Folk 73:
He . . . sent the great muckle loonderin' scoondrel ower his heid.

II. adv. With a heavy blow, in a swingeing manner, whack!Bwk. 1801 "Bwk. Sandie" Poems 10:
But lounder Owre his grey head Come Fate's lang rung, whilk made him founder.

III. n. 1. A heavy blow, a wallop, whack (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ork., Cai. 1902 E.D.D.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Ork. 1929 Marw.). Gen.Sc. Phr. to lend or tak some ane a lounder, to deal one a blow.Sc. 1706 in J. Watson Choice Coll. i. 43:
[He] gave her a Lounder, While Mouth and Nose rusht out of Blood.Peb. 1715 A. Pennecuik Works (1815) 389:
With that Truth took him on the cheek, And lent him lusty lounders three.Abd. 1759 T. Mair Ellon Rec. (1898) 392:
Mr Howe had . . . given him a Lunder on the shoulders with his staff.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 54:
Dead pussie, dragled thro' the pond, Takes him a lounder.Kcb. 1789 D. Davidson Seasons 18:
Although his Maggy on his mind Did sometimes gie a dunner, Yet hopes that routh o' goud he'd find O'er's love did come a lunner.Slg. 1802 G. Galloway Admirable Crichton 70:
'Twill fleg awa' the ills o' eighteen hunder That gied our pouches and our kites a lunder.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xxi.:
I wad likeit weel just to hae . . . gien him a lounder wi' my pike-staff.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize II. xxii.:
The toop . . . knocked him down over a stool with a lounder.Slk. 1829 Hogg Shep. Cal. (1874) ii.:
The farmer . . . made his escape, though not before Patie had hit him what he called "a stiff lounder across the rumple."Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin iv.:
She gied him the lounder wi' her stick.Sh. 1922 J. Inkster Mansie's Röd 151:
Sibbie . . . jimpid up frae da table, an' fetch'd da cat a lunder ower da back.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 63:
"Sneck the creuk," said the aald wife, an' gaed the swee a lunder wae the teengs.

2. In pl.: strong intermittent blasts of wind coming off high ground (Ork. 1929 Marw., ¶linner; Sh. 1961).Ork. 1930 Orcadian (13 Feb.):
In these hilly regions we always called the high blasts lunders, and the lower luffers.

3. A loafer (Ork.⁵ 1961). Cf. v., 4.