Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: <1700, 1700-1754, 1825, 1885, 1946
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ENORM, adj. Sc. usages.
†1. Heinous.Rnf. 1721 W. Hector Judicial Rec. (1876) 99:
As you have plainly insinuate, beeing formerly colluded with, and noe wayes punished for your former enorm practices.
2. Sc. law: considerable. Gen. in phr. enorm lesion, great detriment (see quots.).Sc. 1698 Morison Decisions (1811) 8894:
There can be no definition of enorm lesion; where there is no fixed norma, there cannot be an enormity.Sc. 1754 Erskine Principles (1903) i. vii. 20:
That the minor is hurt or lesed by the deed, to an enorm, i.e., a not inconsiderable degree, looking to the state of things when the transaction took place.Sc. 1825 Faculty Decis. 903:
The glebe is . . . to be made convenient to the minister, but not to the enorm lesion of the proprietor.Sc. 1885 Bell Principles § 2100. 470:
Lesion "which [to justify restitution] must be 'enorm'", i.e., not inconsiderable . . . must be shown in point of fact.Sc. 1946 A. D. Gibb Legal Terms 50:
When [a lesion is] enorm, or considerable, a minor suffering it may have a transaction which is to his lesion [detriment] set aside on the ground of minority and lesion.
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"Enorm adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/enorm>
