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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LUNT, n.¹, v.¹ [lʌnt]

I. n. 1. (1) A match, a piece of inflammable material used to ignite an explosive or kindle a fire, for one's pipe, etc., a light (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai); an ember, “the flame of a smothered fire which suddenly bursts into a blaze” (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also in n.Eng. dial. Phr. to set (a) lunt to, to set fire to.Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf ix.:
If ye step a foot nearer it wi' that lunt, it's be the dearest step ye ever made in your days.Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 202:
He aye hoisted a blanket on his yard hedge, gif it was day, and at night, he set a lunt to a whin cow.Lth. 1825 Jam. s.v. Purl:
The auld woman was gathering horse-purls. She dries them on her window-sole, and uses them for lunts, or even to mend her little fire.Fif. 1864 W. D. Latto T. Bodkin iii.:
The loons wha had set lunt to the train, was ta'en into custody.e.Lth. 1887 P. McNeill Blawearie 57:
[Torches] were made up of pieces of old cloth and straw firmly twined together. This was called a “lunt”. The “lunt” was used by the miner . . . for the purpose of kindling his lamp.Kcb. 1901 R. Trotter Gall. Gossip 236:
He gaed an set lunt tae the thack.Mry. 1922 Swatches o' Hamespun 31:
A neep and runt for licht and lunt Their nieve a mighty staff in.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 17:
A wheen folk oot picnickin at a deike-fit on Dunionseide hed kinnelt a lunt.Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 22:
The birslin' lunt an' reek an' stife Were noo his vera breath o' life.em.Sc. 2000 James Robertson The Fanatic 193:
' ... He was shoutin, I hae lived as a beast, let me die as a beast! Sae the hangman gied up and they pit the lunt tae the fire.'

(2) Transf.: a tobacco pipe (e.Lth. 1905 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 290). Only in Lumsden.e.Lth. 1905 J. Lumsden Croonings 49:
In fa'in, tho', the lunt had burnt a hole In his braw maud. Dundee 1991 Ellie McDonald The Gangan Fuit 9:
Syne we'd hae
a lunt o baccy or a haund o rummy
tae pass the daurk Februar nichts.

2. A column of fire and smoke, a puff of smoke from a pipe, of steam, hot vapour, etc. (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ayr. 1923 Wilson D. Burns 174; Bnff., Abd., Clc., Lnl., Lnk., Slk. 1961). Adv. phr. a-lunt, lit and smoking; on fire, of a chimney (Slk. 1961).Ayr. 1786 Burns Halloween xxviii.:
Butter'd so'ns wi' fragrant lunt, Set a' their gabs a-steerin.Mry. 1810 J. Cock Simple Strains 123:
Tam fuf't the pipe wi' awfu' lunt, An' set auld Kate a hostin'.Wgt. 1877 G. Fraser Sketches 210:
Wi' brunstane lunt, an' fiendish leer, He vanish'd frae their sicht!Abd. 1920 C. Murray Country Places 3:
He cried on the dryster when passin' the mull, Got a lunt o' his pipe an' a news.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie Poems 17:
Pate shakes the dottle frae his pipe, fair fed, And fillin' up shin has his freend a-lunt.

3. Fig. A glowing or brilliant display, a blaze.Lnk. 1813 G. MacIndoe Wandering Muse 127:
His sterling merits to recount, An fairly state the hale amount, Their sum wad swell to sic a lunt O' page an column.

II. v. 1. To set fire to, to kindle (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Rxb. 1961).Dmf. 1869 R. Quinn Plain Truth 262:
Or gie us strength to combat him in style . . . Or Bess again to lunt the stately pile.Fif. 1883 W. D. Latto Bodkin Papers 54:
Doon I flings my bread an' cheese, lunts a candle-doup.

2. To catch fire, to burn, to leap up (of flames), to blaze (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Cai. 1902 E.D.D.; Ayr. 1912 D. M'Naught Kilmaurs 296; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; ne.Sc., Ayr. 1955). Also fig.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 117:
Else the fierce blaze o' simmer's luntin heat Wad ruin a'.Slk. 1802 Hogg Poems (1865) 96:
Sandy's breast wi' love was lunting.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xlviii.:
If they burn the Custom-house, it will catch here, and we'll lunt like a tar-barrel a' thegither.Sc. 1817 Carlyle Early Letters (Norton) I. 135:
The dead lights “gaun luntin by” would be a rare morsel for them.Sc. 1827 C. I. Johnstone Eliz. de Bruce I. xv.:
Maggy Muspert [a witch] wha lunted on the lang-sands o' Kirkaldy.Abd. 1851 W. Anderson Rhymes 51:
The boxes, an' barrows, an' palin's were brunt, An' a kin' o' timmer, and sticks that wad lunt.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xv.:
Peden wi' his lang chafts an' luntin' een.m.Sc. 1927 J. Buchan Witch Wood xvi.:
I doubt if I was strapped up by the thumbs and had yon luntin' een glowering at me I wad speak wi' strange tongues mysel'.

3. intr. To smoke, to emit smoke in puffs, tr. to smoke a pipe (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 174; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; n.Sc., Clc., Edb., Peb., Kcb. 1961). Sometimes with at. Deriv. luntus, a puffer, a contemptuous name for an old woman, sc. one who smokes (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.).Ayr. 1786 Burns Twa Dogs 133–4:
The luntin pipe, and sneeshin mill, Are handed round wi' right guid will.Rxb. 1805 A. Scott Poems 190:
Auld Symon sat luntin' his cuttie.Abd. 1826 D. Anderson Poems 96:
Sawney wha by the fire till now, Sat at his cuttie luntin.Sc. 1836 M. Mackintosh Cottager's Daughter 71:
The curling reek was luntin' up the lum.Gsw. 1863 J. Young Ingle Nook 131:
Thou black memorial o' the past, Thro' wham I've lunted mony a blast O' strong tobacco reek.Lnk. 1865 J. Hamilton Poems 23:
Thy peat-fires are luntin' — hoo fragrant the smell.Dmf. 1877 R. W. Thom Poems (1883) 31:
'Twas thus ilk lunting oracle spoke Frae amid a clud o' tobacco smoke.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 108:
Then hirsel yer chair by the chimla cheek, An' lunt yer pipe-reek up the lum.Lnk. 1922 T. S. Cairncross Scot at Hame 46:
And through its vennels up and doun Stravaiged the rantin', luntin' loun.Bnff. 1934 J. M. Caie Kindly North 8:
Wi' luntin' cutty, Jean wad sit an' watch the reeky pot.