Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1788-1805, 1902, 1988
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0]
PEE, v., n. Also pi(e), and deriv. peever, esp. of a child (w.Sc. 1825 Jam.).
I. v. tr. and intr. To urinate, wet with urine (w.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., pi). Gen.Sc., also colloq. and dial. Eng. Vbl.n.pl. peeins, urine (ne.Sc., Ags. 1965). Comb. pee-the-bed, n., the dandelion (Ayr. 1930; n.Sc., Ags., Edb. 1965), from its diuretic properties. Cf. Eng. pissabed, Fr. pisse-en-lit, id.Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 47:
He [a cat] never stealt though he was poor, Nor ever pee'd his master's floor.Rnf. 1805 G. McIndoe Poems 39:
He pies his dam upon his mither, And mak's a midden o' her lap.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 67:
Yon white starns wi gowden core,
the gowans, are on the gress aince mair,
an' pee-the-beds, puir craturs, the true suns;
dutch-admirals an' daffens an' monie as bricht.
II. n. Urine (w.Sc. 1825 Jam.), the act of urinating. Gen.Sc. Also ¶peever (Jam.).Arg. 1902 R. Maclagan Evil Eye 51:
“The milk has gone along with the pee” . . . understood by the reciter to mean the milk that should have nourished the child was to turn into water in the mother's system, and be so discharged.
