Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1718-1724, 1794-1844, 1934-1956
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UDDER, n. Also uther (Arg. 1711 Arg. Justiciary Rec. (Stair Soc.) II. 268; Cld. 1825 Jam.; Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 272; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Fif. 1950). Sc. form and usages of Eng. udder (Cai., m. and s.Sc. 1973). See also Ether, n.3 Combs.: 1. udder-clap, an inflammation or tumour affecting the udders of ewes; 2. udder-lock, gen. in pl., locks of wool growing round a ewe's udder (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Cai., m. and s.Sc. 1973). Also used as a v., to pull away the wool from a sheep's udder to facilitate suckling (Cld., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; wm.Sc. 1973). Hence vbl.n. udder-locking. [′ʌdər; em.Sc. (b), s.Sc. ′ʌðər]Gsw. 1718 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1909) 5:
Any lights, livers or uthers.Sc. 1724 Treatise on Fallowing 53:
They . . . discovers by their Uthers, such as are with Lamb.1. Rxb. 1825 Jam.:
Udder-clap, a sort of schirrous tumour affecting the udder of ewes, by an unexpected return of milk after being sometime eild.Sc. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm II. 620:
After recovery from lambing, the only complaint the ewe is subject to is inflammation in the udder, or udder-clap, or garget.2. Slk. 1794 T. Johnston Agric. Slk. 40:
The wool carefully pulled off from the udder, in order to let the lambs get more easily at the teats: which is called udder-locking.Slk. 1798 R. Douglas Agric. Slk. 259:
Udder-locks are the wool plucked from the udders.Dmf. 1822 A. Cunningham Tales II. 71:
I'm to have the cheese-siller, and the siller for the udder-locks.Sc. 1934 A. Fraser Herd of the Hills 51:
He had been tired out by the udder-locking, where every ewe has to be turned on its back, felt for its lamb, and the rough wool pulled off its udder so that a weak lamb might suck.s.Sc. 1956 Southern Reporter (5 Jan.):
When the udder-locking comes round.
