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.

†HOTTLE, v., n.²

I. v. To toddle, hobble along. Used in quot. with a pun on Hottle, n.¹ (see 1824 quot. s.v.).Sc. 1824 Scott St Ronan's W. i.:
Lucky Dods can hottle on as lang as the best of them.

II. n. 1. Anything with an unstable base; a child learning to walk who is still unsteady on his feet (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 276). Cf. Hoddle, v., n.¹

2. The bubbling sound and motion of anything boiling.Rnf. 1877 J. M. Neilson Poems 109:
The hottle o' stiff parritch, pechin' an' dune, Sayin', “Parkheid-fuff-Parkheid,” beats a' sirs.