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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WIZEN, v. Also wizzen, -an, wizan, wis(s)en; wuzzen; weezen, weazen. [′wɪzən]

(1) intr. Of any kind of tissue: to shrivel, dry up, shrink, wither (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 96, wissen, 1808 Jam., wisen, wizzen). Gen.Sc. and n.Eng. dial., now freq. used in St. Eng. Vbl.n. wizening; rarely tr. to cause to wither or shrivel, lit. and fig.Bwk. 1897 R. M. Calder Poems 223:
Where self has gained the upper han', An' wizened up their hearts.Wgt. 1912 A.O.W.B. Fables 84:
While ithers dwine or wissen frae the blaze O' scroochin' sun, I easy kep his rays.Ags. 1930 A. Kennedy Orra Boughs xxxv.:
The pathetic wizening which overtook all women teachers.

Ppl.adj. wizened, wizzen(e)t, wiz(z)and, wis(s)en(e)d, wuzzent, etc., dried up, shrivelled, shrunken, (Per. Fif., Lth. (wuzzent), Ayr. (weezent) 1915–26 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein, wuzzent; Rxb. 1942 Zai, wuzzent, -end). Gen.Sc.: (1) of plants, wood, vegetable matter in gen., also fig.:Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 161, 222:
Aff a' the wissen'd Leaves of Spite to shake . . The Nags and Nowt hate wissen'd Strae.Ags. a.1823 G. Beattie Poems (1882) 199:
Their wizzent timbers stour'd like sneishin.Fif. 1879 G. Gourlay Fisher Life 99:
Red herrings, a description of article usually and not inaptly referred to as “wissened sticks.”Bwk. 1911 P. Landreth J. Spindle 100:
The hard heel o' a wizened laif.Fif. 1916 G. Blaik Rustic Rhymes 133:
As muckle wizzand gress As fill the haik.Abd. 1928 N. Shepherd Quarry Wood i.:
Ye'll never haud book-larnin' in a wizened cask.

(2) of persons or parts of the body:Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) II. 63:
Like the wissen'd beardless Wights, Wha herd the Wives of Eastern Knights.Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Journal 23:
The third was an auld, wizen'd, haave coloured carlen.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xviii.:
Wadna I set my ten talents in your wuzzent face?Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 153:
Ye wee wicked weezened devil.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 211:
His skin was wuzzen'd, unfizzen'd, and broon.Sc. 1851 G. Outram Lyrics (1874) 28:
She munches wi' her wizened gums.Sh. 1886 J. Burgess Sketches 108:
Dis wisened-up bits o' things at dey ca' folk noo-a-days, da maist o' dem claes.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Lilac Sunbonnet xxxviii.:
Leave yer faither's hoose to gang to that o' a weezened auld . . .Sc. 1926 H. McDiarmid Drunk Man 2:
Some wizened scrunt o' a knock-knee Chinee.m.Sc. 1998 Lillias Forbes Turning a Fresh Eye 18:
They'll aye come for ye, loupin oot their kists
Een bleezin as het coals,
Corbies wi knablick nebs,
Stookie saunts o the kirk,
Queer wizzent carls an quines
An a hail smarrich o Stuarts.