Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HICK, n.¹, v.¹ Also hic and dim. or freq. form hicker. Cf. Hix. [hɪk]

I. n. A hiccup, the act of hiccuping (Ags., Per. 1825 Jam.; Abd., Ags. 1957).Per. 1893 R. Ford Harp Per. 319:
Jamie began, wi' a “hic” an' a stan', Like ony whase heart's ower fu'.Fif. 1929 A. Taylor Bitter Bread 126:
Ye'd think a man that had lost a leg wi'oot a murmur wad never mak' sic a stramash aboot a hicker in his thrapple.

II. v. 1. To hiccup (Ags., Per. 1825 Jam.; Abd., Ags. 1957).Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 20:
A hickeet an tuik the rewe, for the . . . look o'd wad heh gien a body the scunners.Fif. 1957:
To hick on it — to have one's gorge rise, on a last mouthful when one has eaten too much already.

2. To catch the breath and make a hiccuping sound preparatory to bursting into tears, to sob noisily (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); to grieve (†Rxb. Ib.). Also in n.Eng. dial.Clc. 1852 G. P. Boyd Misc. Poems 25:
Cheer up, my sweet auld-farrant dearies, Near hick tho' your heads cast their hairies.