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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

DUST, n. and v. Also dist (Ork., ne.Sc.).

1. n.

(1) As in Eng. (Abd.²⁷ 1950, dist Bnff. 2000s).Abd. c.1780 Ellis E.E.P. V. 772:
The meal wis as black's dist.Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 36:
The day 'll come fin ye'll get rist, Fin a'thing here has turned to dist.

(2) Fine particles separated by any process: (a) particles of meal and husk produced in grinding corn (e.Rs.¹ 1929, dust; Bnff., Abd. correspondents 1950, dist); (b) “particles which fly from flax when it is dressed” (Sc. 1808 Jam.).(a) ne.Sc. 1914 G. Greig Folk-Song cvii.:
The mullert he's a laddie that's a smeert wi' dist, And fin he meets a bonnie lass he'd gie her a kiss.Bnff. 1782 Trans. Bnffsh. Field Club (1892) 63:
In some places, he adds, three bolls of oats would scarce be 8 stone of “something more like dist than victual.”Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xii.:
I'm seer they got twa as gweed hens as ever swally't black dist fae this toon at Aul' Yeel.Abd. 1994 David Toulmin in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 75:
... the miller kept his sids and his dist and ye was spared the diet o' the Prodigal Son.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 62:
Robin's wife Bell . . . got a bag of dust from Miller Kennet.

(3) fig.: a particle, gen. in phrs. de'il dist, no wan dist, not one particle, not the smallest particle (Ork. 1929 Marw.).

(4) In dim. form dustic, a sea-taboo term for meal (Sh. 1814 Irvine MSS.).

2. v. “To raise a tumult or uproar” (Fif. 1825 Jam.²; Fif.¹⁰ 1941). Cf. slang Eng. dust, a disturbance, uproar, and phr. to kick up a dust.