Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1812-1953
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0]
WHINNER, v., n. Also whun(n)er; whinder (Sh.). [′ʍɪn(d)ər, ′ʍʌnər]
I. v. 1. To whizz, to whistle through the air; to move quickly (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.). Ppl.adj. whinnerin', in phr. a whinnerin' drouth, a severe drought which causes corn, etc., to rustle in the wind (Cld. 1825 Jam.).Ags. a.1823 G. Beattie Poems (1882) 187:
Goblins whinnert thro' the air.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 86:
The pith o' meikle banes Sends whunnering up the rink the channel stanes.Ags. 1852 Montrose Standard (9 Jan.) 7:
Noo they mak' signs by a lang streekit wire. The news whinner a' gate in twa score an' twal'.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin xxx.:
We set to mark what we could whinner.Sc. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Sc. 24:
The deid sterns ane be ane Whunner by like flauchts frae a cleckin-stane.
2. With at: to go at with might and main, hammer at, "to strike with force so as to cause a loud noise" (Sc. 1825 Jam., whunner; Sh. 1974).Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick III. iv.:
A gatherin' o' the Pehts whunnerin' at the dyke wi' a' their birr.
3. To whine, speak in a thin tremulous voice. Ppl.adj. whinnerin, grumbling, peevish (Dmf. 1920).Dmf. 1866 Carlyle Reminisc. (1881) II. 212:
Poor whinnering old moneyed women.
II. n. 1. A whizzing sound, the noise made by rapid flight or motion (n.Sc., Lth., Gall. (whunner), Dmf. 1825 Jam.).Ags. 1821 J. Ross Peep at Parnasus 17:
In whirlwind's whinner she could twist!
2. A whining, wailing, whimpering sound.Sc. a.1832 J. W. Carlyle Letters (Froude 1883) I. 202:
Some such plaintive melody, which after a brief attempt to render itself 'predominant', 'dies away into unintelligible whinner'.
3. A crash, clatter; (the sound of) a heavy fall (Dmf. 1825 Jam.), "a rough disagreeable noise" (Sh., Ork. 1974).Fif. 1812 W. Ranken Poems 31:
Gray slates cam wi' mony a whuner.Kcb.4 1900:
I cam doon wi' an awfu' whunner.
4. A resounding blow, a whack, wallop (n.Sc., Lth., Gall., Dmf. 1825 Jam.; I.Sc. 1974); a box on the ear, a buffet (Dmf. 1825 Jam.; Sh. 1962, whinder).Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 268:
At last the beggars clear'd the field, For wha could stan' their whunners?Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 110:
Ciss! cat, ciss! Th'u's get a whinner!Sh. 1953 New Shetlander No. 35. 32:
He lifted his neive an' he landed me flyin' A whinder 'at runged troo da ribs ower me hert.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Whinner v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 1 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/whinner>
