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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

VIRTUE, n. Also vertue (Abd. 1865 G. MacDonald Alec Forbes lxxx.); and in sense 2. verter, -ur. Reduced form ¶virt.

Sc. usages:

1. Specif. (the virtue of) industry or diligence (Lth., Rxb. 1825 Jam.).Abd. 1722 T. Mair Ellon Presb. Rec. (1894) 354:
He allows her own and women's vertue to keep her pocket.Sc. 1728 P. Walker Life A. Peden 119:
His landlord, digging stones at the end of that village, told the officers that he was afraid the soldiers would plunder his cottage; they said, ‘Poor man, you deserve encouragement for your virtue; be not afraid for your house, for we shall order two soldiers to stand at the door, that none may enter to wrong you.'Sc. 1803 Scott Letters (Cent. Ed.) I. 189:
In many parts of Scotland the word virtue is limited entirely to industry; and a young divine who preached upon the moral beauties of virtue was considerably surprised at learning that the whole discourse was supposed to be a panegyric upon a particular damsel who could spin fourteen bundles of yarn in the course of a week.Mry. 1828 W. Gordon Poems 211:
Ye must gather Wi your virt to keep us right.

2. Power, efficiency, esp. in healing (Bnff., Edb., Ayr. 2000s); in combs. verter-spring, -water, -well, waters which are reputed to have therapeutic properties, medicinal wells (Slk. 1825 Jam.; Bwk. 1876 W. Brockie Confessional 49). Also in place-names, as Verturwell near Duns in Bwk.Rxb. 1811 T. Pringle Autumnal Excursion (1819) 25:
They sit beside the Verter spring.Bwk. 1880 Hist. Bwk. Nat. Club IX. 231:
In the moss there is a well-known “verter”, i.e. virtue well, which has a strong tincture of iron.Sc. 1883 W. Black Folk Medicine vi.:
Warts were washed with water that had accumulated in the hollows of gravestones. . . . I have above noticed the ‘verter' water found in hollows of tomb-stones and rocks.Uls. 1993:
There's no virtue in that ointment any more. Edb. 2004:
Thon coaf medicine's loast its virtue by noo. Look at the 'sell by' date.