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.
SCUNCHEON, n. Also scuntion, scontion and misreading skimshion. [′skʌnʃən]
1. In masonry: the internal return or reveal of a window or door case, or of a pier, pilaster or the like, the inner edge of a window or door jamb, the open finished end of a wall (Sc. 1808 Jam., 1952 Builder (20 June) 943). Gen.Sc., now obs. in Eng.Rs. 1789 W. MacGill Old Ross-shire (1909) 196:
Built of what is called solid mud except the door and window skimshions lintols and soles.Bnff. 1812 D. Souter Agric. Bnff. 91:
The body of the walls built of rubble-stone and clay, corners and scuncheons built with lime.Per. 1843 Trans. Highl. Soc. 111:
All scontions or interior corners.Sc. 1861 Stephens & Burn Farm Buildings 245:
A scuncheon should be formed of in-band and out-band stones, hammer-dressed, and firmly bedded upon one another.Fif. 1958 T. G. Snoddy Green Loanings 57:
Since a' was rooble stane — he but to set His dowp wi' care upon a whunstane scuncheon.
2. Extended jocularly: a square piece of bread or cheese, a chunk (Rxb. 1825 Jam.); a workman's snack or piece (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); a loaf specially made for hotels and boarding-houses consisting of four pan loaves made end to end as one long one (Ayr. 1969).
[O.Sc. skunchione, = 1., 1639, E.M.E. sconchon, id., O.Fr. esconchon, escoinson, a corner-stone, < coin, corner. Cf. Cunyie.]
