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.
Quotation dates: 1847
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SNURKLE, v. 1. intr. Of hard-twisted thread: to tangle, to run into knots (Slk. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1971).
2. To become wrinkled or shrivelled (Watson).Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 138:
My riggit ribs, where snurk'lt skin is fatit To lanely hing where flesh could stay nae langer.
3. tr. To cause to shrivel or twist (Watson).
[Prob. of Scand. orig. and poss. a variant deriv. form of Snirk, v.2 Cf. Norw., Dan. snirkel, a spiral, twirl, and Norw. dial. snerka, to wrinkle, make to curl up. Cf. also Mid.Eng. snorkil, a wrinkle, crease.]
