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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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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.

DOILT, ppl.adj. Also doil'd, doyl'd, doylt, diled, -et, d(e)ylt, dyl'd, †dilde and irreg. doiltit (Rnf. 1813 J. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 75).

1. Dazed, confused; stupid, crazed (Sh.¹⁰ 1949; Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems, Gl.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 182, doyl'd; Dmf. 1948 (per Abd.²⁷); Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.). Also rarely in inf. which may be a back-formation.Sc. 1721 in Ramsay Poems 203:
Accept my third and last Essay . . . Bright Ramsay, . . . altho it may Seem doilt and donsie.Sc. 1814 Scott Waverley (1817) xxx.:
“Ye doil'd dotard,” replied his gentle helpmate.Bnff. 1927 E. S. Rae Hansel fae Hame 15:
Ye're diled wi' din, your een are sair.Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 30:
Skushlin ben the dutch-side, her milk flagon in han,
Dyl't-lookin an worth i the queets, ...Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 57:
He was a chield at kirk or fair Was ne'er dung doil'd wi' warl's care.Lnk. 1887 A. Wardrop Mid-Cauther Fair 10:
The maister was as dour an' doilt's the kye.Ayr. 1786 Burns Sc. Drink xv.:
Wae worth that Brandy, burnan trash! . . . Twins monie a poor, doylt, drunken hash O' half his days.Dmf. 1877 R. W. Thom Jock o' the Knowe 21:
Sat blawing in the dyl'd Laird's ear, That imp o' Satan, Rab McClaw.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 152:
Her pawkie joke, and sleekie wile, Lose hauf their power the head to dile, And haud the heart.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Poems (1852) 182:
[It] maks a body dilde and ditted.

2. Wearied, fatigued; “broken down with sorrow” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff., dylt; Abd.²⁷ 1948), having a worried or ill-used expression (Abd.⁷ 1925, dilet); “subdued in manner” (Mry.¹ 1925, deylt).Bnff. 1930 E. S. Rae Waff o' Win' 63:
But ma countra he'rt's sae weary, Dazed ma een and diled ma fret.Per. [1753] A. Nicol Poems (1766) 34:
Haith I'm doild, because 'tis so, That she is high and I am mean.Edb. 1773 R. Fergusson Poems (1925) 40:
A warm and canny lean for weary banes O' lab'rers doil'd upo' the wintry leas.Rnf. 1807 R. Tannahill Poems 103:
Yet mony a puir, doilt, service body Will scrimp his stomach o' its crowdy.

3. Harassed with over-attention, over-petted (Abd.⁹ 1940).Bnff.² 1928:
She's jist speylin' the loon; I niver saw sic a dile't bairn.

4. Used as a n. = a foolish old man. Rare.Sh. 1901 Sh. News (7 Sept.):
Doo needna be blate fir me, a auld married doilt.