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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.

STAMP, n.2 Also †stampt. A trap, esp. one which grips the victim by the foot, a gin-trap (Sc. 1808 Jam., as in combs. rotten-stamp for rats, foumart-stamp, for weasels or polecats). Comb. rat-stamp (Per., Fif. 1971).Kcd. 1721 Urie Court Bk. (S.H.S.) 119:
The killing of hares, doves, draick, and others are expressly prohibited to be killed with guns, pistollis, stampts, or other ingines.
Per. 1738 Caled. Mercury (25 April):
A certain Butcher of this Town, whose House was much molested with Spanish Rats, caused make a Stamp for catching these Vermin.
Edb. 1782 Caled. Mercury (11 May):
Large stamps, that will break a man's leg.
Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems 53:
Mony a trap, an' stamp, an' snare.
Ags. 1830 Perthshire Advert. (3 June):
A fox, which was caught in a stamp at Cortachy.
Fif. 1864 St Andrews Gaz. (24 Dec.):
Guilty to having stolen three rabbit stamps from a warren.

[Orig. somewhat uncertain. Cf. Du. dial. stap, id., but the form, if not simply representing an extended usage of, has been assimilated to, stamp, the contrivance being released by being trodden on. O.Sc. stamp, id., 1692.]

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"Stamp n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/stamp_n2>

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