Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
SCRIBE, n.2 Also screyb. A crab-apple, Pyrus malus (Cld. 1825 Jam.; Dmb., Ayr. 1969). Comb. scribe-tree, the crab-apple tree.Sc. 1834 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) IV. 51:
Scotch anes [apples], that are noo seldom sweeter than scribes.Ayr. 1871 Sc. Naturalist I. 54:
In Ayrshire we find the Crab-apple called the Scribe-tree.Ayr. 1921 A. Murdoch Ochiltree 204:
The boys of the village soon came to know where were to be found the best “scribes”.
