Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DAM, n.1, v.
1. n. Used as in Eng.; the following combs. are peculiar to Sc.: (1) dam-dyke, -dike, the dike which confines the water in a dam (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 158, -dyke); known to Kcb.10 1939 for Ayr. and Kcb.; also damhead-dike (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 242); (2) dam-ee, “the outlet of a mill-dam” (Cai. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.; Cai.7 1939); (3) damhead, a weir, placed across a river to divert the water into the mill-race (Cai.7 1939); the body of water confined by a weir (Per., Fif., Lth. Wilson); “an escape for water” (Bnff.4 1926); (4) dam-tree, a beam or slab of wood used in making a dam or sluice.(1) Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet Letter vii.:
The brook, restrained at the ultimate boundary of the grounds by a natural dam-dike or ledge of rocks, seemed . . . scarcely to glide along.(3) Sc. 1761 Faculty Dec. (1772) III. 144:
Both parties obliged themselves . . . to repair and keep up the damhead of the said Rassmill-lead, and to be at the equal half of the charges in repairing . . . the same.Sc. 1829 Scott Tales Grandfather (1869) xxi.:
The waters of the Teviot, raised by a damhead or wear, flowed round the fortress [of Rxb.].(4) Rnf. 1745 Crawfurd MSS. (N.L.S.) D. 3:
To right the inlayer, and furnish a dam-tree to the meikle dam.
†2. v. As vbl.n. in phr. dammin(g) and lavin(g), a method of removing water used (1) in mining, (2) in poaching. The method was the same in both cases. Cf. daime and laive s.v. Dem, v.(1) e.Lth. 1881 J. Sands Sk. Tranent in Olden Time 30:
The [coal] workings in the olden time were cleared of water by a process called ‘damming and laving,' that is by forming banks over which the water was ladled into dams above, whence it was ladled over the other banks into other dams, and so on until it was got out of the pit.(2) Sc. 1721 J. Kelly Proverbs 90:
Damming and loving [sic] is sure fishing. An advice to prefer a sure gain, though small, to the prospect of a greater with uncertainty.Sc. 1729 W. Macintosh Inclosing 277:
This fishing is what we call Damming and Leving.Sc. 1825 Jam.2:
Dammin and lavin', a low poaching mode of catching fish in rivulets, by damming and diverting the course of the stream and then laving or throwing out the water, so as to get at the devoted prey.
