Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
BULLIN SPADE, n.comb. A kind of peat spade (see quot.). See Bullin.Abd. 1970 Gailey and Fenton The Spade 185:
The ordinary ‘bullin’ spade' was used for undercutting the first and second depths of peat. For the third and usually the lowermost depth, the ‘turned bullin’ spade' came into its own. Whereas the first was quite straight, with an absolutely flat blade and shaft in the same plane, the ‘urned bullin’ spade' was a tool with lift.
