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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

COORIE, Coory, Courrie, Cwoorie, Corrie, v. Also courie (Fif. 1908 People's Journal (23 May); Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915-26 Wilson.). [′ku:ri, ′kɔrɪ̢, but Per. + ′kwu:ri]

1. To stoop, bend, cringe, crouch for protection; “to kneel down” (Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.). Gen. with doon (down) or in. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1935 I. Bennet Fishermen xxix.:
The mourners shivered, the women especially in their black frocks and shawls courried down against the gale.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 1:
Fur he wis sma-boukit, auld Attie Coutts, as licht still on his taes as a dauncer, an weel-likit the braidth o the hill-fairms that cooried doon like sae mony bawds in the lang girse ... m.Sc. 1991 Tom Scott in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 39:
Past trees o coral, sunken hulks, he gaed,
And fishes' maws grew rounder at the sicht.
Hermit-crabs fair couried doun frae them,
Dauphins skelpit awa like fleggit queyns. em.Sc. (a) 1894 “I. Maclaren” Bonnie Brier Bush 159:
It was nichtfa' afore she got over the fricht, and when she saw him on the road next Sabbath, she cooried in ahint ma goon.w.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 82:
For we voted, - an we meant
then, ti choose a parliament,
that can legislate an no jist coorie-doon.wm.Sc. 1995 Alan Warner Morvern Callar 141:
I cooried so's my topmost bits were under the surface but you could see his eyes being able to make them out in the shallowy water. Gsw. 1904 J. J. Bell Jess and Co. vi.:
Angus, man! What are ye cooryin' there for?sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
coorie, coorie-doon, coor to crouch. w.Dmf. 1908 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo (1912) ii.:
My faither, as I've said, was a very tall man. He had to coorie doon gaun through the lobby.

2. To snuggle, nestle. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1999 Scotsman (20 Mar) 10:
She knows about wearing your loved one's old shirt, about watching her lean on a door frame, about closeness and gladness and a private coorying in of quiet joy. Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 27:
Tae win awa, tae courie doun,
tae courie doun, aiblins tae dream
aye that's the fasherie. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 29:
You could coorie under a peat bank, in the oxter of a rock, or beneath the grass overhang of a burn.Fif. 1936 St Andrews Cit. (1 Feb.) 3/3:
St Monance “coories” in a hollow at the bottom of the low cliffs.Fif. 1983 Hamish Brown Time Gentlemen 116:
He coories doon tae bide a wee - There's aye the morn's morn. wm.Sc. 1988 Christine Marion Fraser Storm over Rhanna (1990) 57:
Phebie was in the passenger seat with Mutt cooried beside her, ... wm.Sc. 1988 Christine Marion Fraser Storm over Rhanna (1990) 59:
Little Ellie was cooried into Fergus, sleepily sucking her thumb, the tiny cloth rabbit from Santa's sack held tight to her breast. Gsw. 1972 Molly Weir Best Foot Forward (1974) 14:
I had always been used to the comfort of a warm body to coorie into in bed, ... Gsw. 1985 Michael Munro The Patter 17:
coorie in To cuddle or snuggle up to someone. Gsw. 1990 John and Willy Maley From the Calton to Catalonia 10:
Apart fae hivin absolutely nae sense a smell, they like tae coory intae the seams a yer troosers. Gsw. 1992 Jeff Torrington Swing Hammer Swing! (1993) 250:
'There, there, you've just had a bad awakening, that's all. Noo, coorie doon - have another billion winks ...' Gsw. 1998 Alan Spence Way to Go (1999) 61:
Jeannie hid her face in my shoulder, cooried in. I kissed the top of her head. Lnk. 1902 A. Wardrop Hamely Sketches 228:
Sae I maun haste and coorie doon Aside the lass I lo'e.w.Dmf. 1920 J. L. Waugh Heroes in Homespun (1921) 128:
We corriet gey close to yin anither o' a forenicht.

3. tr. To embrace.Per. 1916 T.S.D.C. II.:
He cwooried her.