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.
SEARCH, n.2, v.2 Sc. form of Eng. searce, now obs. or dial. in Eng. [sɛrtʃ]
I. n. As in Eng., a sieve, strainer, riddle (ne.Sc., Ags. 1969).Sc. 1736 Mrs. McLintock Receipts 13:
When ripe, take the Stones and Stalks away; put them [cherries] through a Search.Sc. 1745 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 74:
Squeeze your four dozen oranges and ten limons, filtrate the juice through a hair-search.Sc. 1774 Weekly Mag. (8 Sept.) 326:
The search is made of fine brass wire, is about two feet long, and a foot and an half broad, and fixed obliquely to the lower part of the hopper, while the grain goes through the first and second time.Abd. 1824 Farmer's Mag. (May) 136:
The milk, when brought in from the cows, should be strained through a fine hair search or strainer.Kcd. 1893 C. A. Mollyson Fordoun 315:
A “search” or “seydish”.
II. v. To put through a sieve, to sift, strain (ne.Sc., Ags. 1969); to extract the juice from.Sc. 1736 Mrs. McLintock Receipts 4:
Take a lib. of Candy-broad Sugar, beat it and search it.Per. 1766 H. Robertson School of Arts 18:
Take a common biscuit, toast it hard before the fire, beat it and search it.Sc. 1807 Farmer's Mag. (Aug.) 365:
Too great heats of water appear to be used in the 1st and 2nd maskings by which means the grain and malt of barley are not searched properly.
