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.
CHOWDER-HEADED, adj.comb. Having a thick, square head, somewhat obtuse, blockheaded. Cf. Chowderpate below.Sc. 1819 Scott Letters (Cent. Ed.) V. 349:
Raeburn has twice made a very chowder-headed person of me.
[Variant form of Eng. dial. cholter-headed, jolter-headed, id., from †jolt-head, a heavy, unshapely head. Scott freq. uses the word in various forms.]