Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1790, 1850
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CHIRLE, CHURL, n. Cf. Choller.
1. A roll of fat below the chin (Rnf. 1825 Jam.2, chirle). Known to Ork.1 1940, churl.Rnf. [1850] A. McGilvray Poems (1862) 48:
Red brawny arms, and shoulders wide, And double churls below her chin.
†2. “The wattles or barbs of a cock” (Rnf. 1879 Jam.5).Rnf. 1790 A. Wilson Poems 82:
Wi' clippet feathers, kame an' chirle, The Gamester's Cock, frae some aul' burrel, Proclaims the Morning near.
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"Chirle n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 11 May 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/chirle>
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