Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
RORY, n. Also Rorie. Sc. forms of the Gael. male name Ruairidh, Ruaidhri, 'the red-haired one', still chiefly with Highland associations in Scot. (Sc. 1746 Lyon in Mourning (S.H.S.) I. 328; Ayr. 1789 Burns Whistle viii.; Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck xiv.; Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch xiv.; Arg. 1896 N. Munro Lost Pibroch 135). In Eng. the name derives prob. from Ir. rather than Sc.
Sc. usage: A nickname for a soldier in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Sc. 1915 C. White Our Regiments 126). In pl. with def. art.: the regiment itself.
[From the prop. name Rory, Gael. Ruairidh, Roderick, a common christian name in the northern counties of Scotland from which the regiment was partly recruited.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Rory n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/rory>
