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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SKREED, v., n. Also skreid, skried, skräid, skrid(e), scride, skreethe, skrythe, scrithe, skruith, skruth-; scrae, skre, skry; ¶scrive. [Sh. skri:d, skrɑed, skre; Ork., Cai. — ð, Ork. + skrið, skrɑe]

I. v. intr. To swarm, to teem, crowd together in large numbers, flock, of persons, fish, etc. (Sh. 1825 Jam., 1866 Edm. Gl., 1908 Jak. (1928); Ork. 1929 Marw.; Sh., Ork., Cai. 1970); to be infested with vermin or other pests (Id.). Ppl.adj. skreethin, skrythan, plentiful, abundant (Cai. 1965).Sh. 1898 Shetland News (27 Aug.):
As for kokrochies! der juist skridin'.Sh. 1904 E.D.D.:
Tammus Gimmer was fairly scridin' wi' kids.Cai.⁴ c.1920:
The place is scrivan wi' mice.Ork. 1929 Peace's Almanac 137:
Sae might I trive, de hade buist be skrythin.Ork. 1994 George Mackay Brown Beside the Ocean of Time 45:
Rats were scrithing among the ribs of Seamus the horse.

II. n. A swarm of small living objects, a creeping mass, of animals or things, a shoal, pack, crowd, pile, large number, freq. contemptuously (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. xii. 200, 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 315, skrae, 1914 Angus Gl., skried; Ork. 1929 Marw., skry; I.Sc., Cai. 1970). Deriv. skruthy [′srkʌði], id. (Marw.).Sh. 1897 Shetland News (17 July):
Der a scride o' scarfs aboot da shore dis saeson.Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 39:
Old people spoke of having seen numbers of puny beings dancing around a fairy knowe. These were spoken of as a “scrac o' henkies.”Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
A skrid o' livin' tings, o' taaties. A skre o' bairns, o' hens, o' sporrows.Sh. 1950 New Shetlander No. 20. 12:
Sikk a skreed a fokk is apo da Shore.