Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
†MALAGRUGROUS, adj. Also malegrugrous (Sc. 1825 Jam.); malagrug(or)ous, malegrueguous; and erratic form ¶malegrobolous. Grim; forbidding; gloomy, dismal, melancholy. Hence malagrugrously, grimly, gloomily. [mɑlə′grug(r)əs]Sc. 1818 Lockhart in Blackwood's Mag. III. 407:
He writes more malagrugrously than Dante.Sc. 1819 Scott Letters (Cent. ed.) V. 392:
Give a look in upon James in his present malagrug[r]ous condition.Ayr. 1832 Galt Stanley Buxton I. viii.:
It was all of her own seeking that the Castle grew so malegrobolous.Abd. 1884 Trans. Bnff. Field Club 29:
I met a malegrueguous beast, It hid ten heads and ten tails.em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgment 25:
In these dour wurds we mey set doun
Their malagrugous cry:
"O why frae a state o naethin-ness
Did God raise up ma mauchtless frame?
