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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1824, 1898-1916

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SCULL, v., n.2 Also skull. Sc. usages:

I. v. 1. To go in a zig-zag manner, walk from side to side. Also in U.S.Sh. 1898 J. Burgess Tang xi.:
Jacob was sculling here and there about the field.

2. To make (a flat stone) skip across the surface of water, to play ducks and drakes (Ork. 1929 Marw., Ork. 1969); to prop through the air in a somewhat sim. manner. Deriv. sculler (o' win), a high wind without rain (Cai. 1930).Ork. 1912 J. Omond Ork. 80 Years Ago 10:
The flat Scotch bonnet which was also convenient for shieing or sculling through the air after the hens.

II. n. As in Eng. Derivs. scully-boat, a sculling-boat, a light skiff rowed with sculls; scull-row, a notch in the stern of a boat used as a kind of rowlock when the boat is propelled by a single oar (wm.Sc. 1969).Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 229:
I fin' an awfu' tugging at the line, owre the scullrow.
Sh. 1916 J. Burgess Rasmie's Smaa Murr (20 Faebruary):
Ye canna moor a ship wi a scully-boat's painter.

[Sc. usages of Eng. scull, to row with sculling oars, to propel through water.]

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