Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
CORVE, v. To weigh.m.Lth. 1842 Children in Mines Report (2) 454:
The whole buck or sheep could have been bought when I first wrought for 5s., and the flesh was never corved.
[Lit. ‘to put in a corf’or basket formerly used in transporting coal from the working-face in a mine to the surface, being later weighed to assess each miner's output, hence to weigh in gen. See note to Corfhouse.]
