Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1728, 1824-1827, 1879-1955
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MUILDER, v., n. Also mulder; m(o)uller, moular; mooler. Sc. forms of Eng. moulder, to decay, crumble, to dust (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.; Uls. 1924 Northern Whig (14 Jan.); Ork. 1929 Marw.). [′møl(d)ər, sm.Sc. ′mulər]
I. v. As in Eng., tr. and intr. (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; I.Sc., Ayr., Dmf. 1963). Ppl.adj. mullered, moullert, moulard, moolert, crumbled away, decayed (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 353).Sc. 1728 Six Saints (Fleming 1901) I. 31:
The dust of their mullered bodies from their graves.Sc. 1824 Cornhill Mag. (Sept. 1932) 277:
The bones of the unfortunate Sheriff . . . a' mouller't away as soon as ever they got the air.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 8:
The vera dead men's mooler't banes.Sc. 1879 P. H. Waddell Isaiah v. 5:
I'se out wi' its hedge, I'se down wi' its dyke; an' it 's baith be herried an' moul'ard.Edb. 1916 T. W. Paterson Wyse-Sayin's xxv. 28:
Like a toon o' broken-doon hooses, Wi' the big wa's o't mullerin awa.Ork. 1931 J. Leask Peculiar People 132:
Aye min, dey waar rale guid, bakid i' da ass an' weel clined wi' butter, an' foo dey wad mulder i' da mooth.Dmf. 1955:
Of soil, to crumble — it moolers doon wi' the frost.
II. n. Also in Ork. deriv. form muldro. A crumb, a particle (Ork. 1929 Marw.); crumbled fragments of oatcakes (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1914 Angus Gl.; Sh., Uls. 1963). Deriv. muillery, crumbly, friable (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1959, as of bread).Ork. 1929 Marw.:
Hid's a' geen i' muldros i' his pooch.
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"Muilder v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/muilder>
