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.
SHIAK, n. Also shiock. [′ʃɑeək]
1. Gen. in pl.: a kind of black oats, grey-striped, with awns like barley (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.), poss. Avena strigosa.Abd. 1745 Stat. Acc.1 II. 533:
Small oats, hairy oats, or shiacks.Sc. 1814 J. Sinclair Agric. Scot. App. I. 37:
In the higher straths among the mountains, the cultivation of grain is limited chiefly to bear and oats, and some of these oats are of inferior black kind, termed small oats or shiacks.Ags. 1845 Stat. Acc.2 XI. 367:
Formerly a species called shiocks, or black-oats, was much sown.Mry. 1923 Swatches o' Hamespun 32:
Nor mind the gaudy shiack, Tak heuck an, whitstane blythely, lass, And shear the maiden clyack.
2. By extension: small fish (Mry.1 1929).
[Orig. obscure.]
