Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BULWAND, BULWINT, BUILWAN, BULL-WAND, BULLIWAN, n. [′bʌlwənd, -wɪnt, ′bølwən, ′bʌlɪ̢wɑn]

1. “The mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris” (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.; 1914 Angus Gl.; Ork. 1808 Jam.; 1929 Marw.); the stalk of this plant (Cai.³ 1931).Ork.¹ 1920:
The gairden wes a' full o bulwints.

2. “The ragwort, Senecio Jacobæa” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., bull-wand).

3. “A bulrush, Typha latifolia” (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.).Sh. 1912 G. Goudie in Old-Lore Misc., Ork., Sh., etc. V. i. 16:
A man came one night to the burn of Hogrow . . . in Kunningsburgh, and observed a number of Trows cutting bulwands.Dmf. 1824 W. McVitie Tales II. 62: 
A bullwand, a kind of coarse hollow reed that grows in shady places.

4. “The common dock (Rumex). Chiefly applied to the tall stems of this plant” (Ork. 1929 Marw.); “the stalk of a dock, rumex crispus or r[umex] obtusifolius” (Cai. 1907 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 67, bulliwan; Cai.⁷ 1937). Cf. Bunewand, n., 2.Ork.(D) 1880 Dennison Orcad. Sk. Bk. 37:
At ither times dey wad gang weegaldie wagaldie fae side tae side like builwans i' a breeze.