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). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

DEE, v. Gen.Sc. form of Eng. die. Ppl.adj. deein', deean'. [di: Sc., but s.Sc. + dei, see P.L.D. § 103]Sc. a.1724 Lady G. Baillie Were not my Heart light in Orpheus Caled. (1733) I. 88:
She raised such a Pother 'twixt him and his Mother, That were na my Heart light, I wad dee.Sc. 1991 R. Crombie Saunders in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 28:
Warlds frae the lyft hae fled, an sterns gane black
Sen yesternicht, bot anely God can read
In the derkened universe o my tuim hert
What galaxies He ended whan you deed.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 32:
Bit the thinkan' wey's best for a deean' man.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb x.:
My uncle, 't deet Can'lesmas was a year.Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 26:
... a taigle squirmin on the grund
like streekit worms that dee in cauld rain - m.Sc. 1917 J. Buchan Poems 27:
He dee'd afore his heid wad wag In God's denial.wm.Sc. 1954 Robin Jenkins The Thistle and the Grail (1994) 19:
"Lucky? I'm one that's not been lucky. Everybody in this toon kens I'm deeing." wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 33:
Ah'd dee raither than hurt you, Ah care faur
Too much to ever - em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 222:
Memories. Whit ye mind as a wean. Ye come fae nowhere. Ye gang back tae naethin. Ye had a faither that dee'd. A mither that was aye huntin things in charity shops and auction rooms.Lnk. 1998 Duncan Glen Selected New Poems 50:
"Dee, my verse,
dee as the unnumert fell
- in storming heiven ...w.Dmf. 1912 A. Anderson “Surfaceman's” Later Poems 204:
When the deein' sunlicht lay On the lang green howms o' the windin' Nith.Rxb. 1990 David Purves in Joy Hendry Chapman 59 76:
Lest year, graundfaither dee'd at seivintie-sax, -
he liggs ablo the mouls on Brierielaw -

Phrs.: 1. to dee in the band, like M'Gibbon's calf, to die married; 2. to dee the death o' Jenkin's hen, see Jenkin's Hen.1. wm.Sc. 1835–37 Laird of Logan II. 58:
Dee whan ye like, ye'll dee in the band, like M'Gibbon's calf.