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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.

CORP, Corpe, Korp, n. [kɔrp, korp]

1. A corpse. Pl. corpse. Gen.Sc.Abd. 1891 T. Mair Arn and his Wife 68:
His spouse wes lyin' streekit like A corpe upo' the meal.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 1:
"Slawer, quine, slawer gyaun doon the brae," crawed auld Attie Coutts, cockin his wizzen craig sidiewyse, like a hoodie ower a tasty corp. Ags.(D) 1922 J. B. Salmond Bawbee Bowden xvi.:
I ken this, that I have been at a gey puckle death-beds, an' . . . dressed mony a korp.m.Sc. 1986 William Montgomerie in Joy Hendry Chapman 46 13:
Let's shoot the angel guerd they hire
frae Eden
hing the corp on the wire
pit their charters in a funeral pyre. m.Sc. 1988 William Neill Making Tracks 50:
The coffin lik a frame
limned oot the corp, aw in the linins hidden. em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 123:
Traill was particularly keen to hear the details of McKail's execution.
'Did they save the corp frae the gallows?' he asked.Fif. 1759 A. Laing Lindores Abbey (1876) 275:
No Inhabitant within the Town of Newburgh shall invite either one or other of the Inhabitants to drink before the corpe be interred.Lnk. c.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 116:
“I think ye may let your work stand for ae day, when your daughters are lying corpse.” “My bairns corpse!”w.Dmf. 1920 J. L. Waugh Heroes in Homespun (1921) 9:
It's like this, ye see, I canna baith bury the corp an' drive the minister.

2. With def. art. = the defunct (Bnff.², Abd.²², Ags.², Fif.¹⁰, Lnk.³ 1937).Sc. 1891 N. Dickson Kirk Beadle 129:
When the corp an' me were young men, he cheated me out o' thirty shillings.Ags. 1891 (2nd ed.) J. M. Barrie Little Minister xvii.:
What . . . was the corp to trade? . . . I warrant he was a minister too.

3. Combs.: (1) corp-candle, -cannle, will-o'-the-wisp (Lnk.³ 1937); (2) corp-lifter, a body-snatcher (Bnff.², Abd.¹⁹, Lnk.³ 1937).(1) Arg. 1896 N. Munro Lost Pibroch (1903) 138:
He was off and away like the corp-candle before they were any nigher.Kcb. 1895 S. R. Crockett Men of the Moss-Hags xxiii.:
And the corp-cannles lowe i' the bogs.(2) ne.Sc. 1883–86 D. Grant Chrons. of Keckleton (1888) 32:
I mean that the corp-lifters hae been payin' a visit to Keckleton Kirkyaird.