Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1790-1828, 1930
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GUNCH, n. Also gunsh. [gʌnʃ]
1. A thick piece, a hunk (Kcb.4 1900; Cai., Ayr., Kcb. 1955).Ayr. 1790 J. Fisher Poems 60:
I keepit aye a gunch o' ham, Or gude auld cheese.Ayr. 1828 D. Wood Poems 36:
Within't they took their mid-day lunch, O' meat they had a gude big gunch.
2. Fig. A short, thick-set person (Cai. 1908 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 74, gunsh s.v. gudge; Cai., Crm., 1916 T.S.D.C. II.; Cai. 1955); anything short, thick and strong (Ib.). Cf. Ginch.
Hence gunshie, adj., short and fat, stout-built, used both of persons and animals (Cai. 1955).Cai. 1930 John o' Groat Jnl. (21 Feb.):
'E peedy, pauky, gunshie kind of swinies they hed oot 'ere.
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"Gunch n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gunch>
