Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STENLOCK, n. Also -lack, stan(e)lock, -lac, stainlock. The coalfish, Gadus virens, esp. in its fully-grown or Saithe stage (Dmb. 1825 Jam.; Arg., Ayr. 1971). Also attrib.Arg. 1800 Edb. Weekly Jnl. (1 Oct.) 318:
That fish called a Seath, or over-grown Stenlock.Arg. 1811 J. MacDonald Agric. Hebr. 631:
They catch a number of tenlock and sell them under the name of wild salmon.Sc. 1831 Perthshire Advertiser (3 Nov.):
In one stenlock twelve herrings have been found all entire.Arg. 1845 Stat. Acc.² VII. 440:
Cod, ling, coalfish or stanelock . . . are found in shoals upon the banks in every direction.Arg. 1899 N. Munro Gilian the Dreamer xiv.:
A gross of stenlock hooks to grapple you.Arg. 1914 J. M. Hay Gillespie iv. iii.:
We're thrang cairtin' the guts ower the Quay heid. It'll feed the stanelacs.Uls. 1944 E. E. Evans Irish Heritage 145:
The dark coal-fish, variously called, according to its age and size, cudden or gelpin, . . . stanlock, black jack, and so on.Arg. 1949 Mitchison & Macintosh Men & Herring 49:
It was stainlocks they got, and not herring at all.