Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

CRAZE, Crase, Craise, Craize, v. and n. [kre:z]

1. v.

(1) tr. Of limbs: to render infirm through injury or age. Obs. or arch. in Eng. (N.E.D.); usu. in ppl.adj. crased, craist.Lnk. a.1832 W. Watt Poems (1860) 94:
And sair-craist banes fill'd mony skins, To close the Tinklers' Weddin', O.Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs ll. 193–194:
They've nae sair-wark to craze their banes, And fill auld-age wi' grips an' granes.w.Dmf. 1908 J. L. Waugh Robbie Doo (1912) i.:
No' for auld dune bodies like him wi' gaspin' breaths, crased banes, and sluggish bluid.

(2) intr. †(a) (see quot.): (b) to make a creaking noise; ppl.adj. crazin'.(a) Cld., Rxb. 1825 Jam.²:
One is said to craize, who, when sitting on a chair, moves it backwards and forwards, with the whole weight on the hinder feet of it.(b) Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
His new, crazin' shuin.

2. n. †(1) A crack; fig. a blow.Sth. 1708 in C. D. Bentinck Dornoch Cath. and Par. (1926) 253:
It [the fabric] is altogether decayed . . . with crazes in the walls.Edb. 1798 D. Crawford Poems 23:
His skull for that should get a craise, In a short time.Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch (1839) ix.:
An old chair, the bottom of which had gone down . . . and which for some craze about it had been put out of the way.

(2) “A degree of wrong-headedness, craziness” (Sc. 1825 Jam.²).Sc.(E) 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 24:
His dad was cleekit in a craze, But mindfu' o' his ain daft days, Brawly he kent the laddie's maze.

†(3) “Dotage, foolish fondness” (Abd. 1825 Jam.²).