Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1836, 1892-2004
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RUNNICK, n. Also runnik, runnock; rinnick (Marw.); ron(n)ek (Jak.). Dim. runnickle (Sh. 1968). An open drain or gutter used to drain water from a byre or dung hill (Sh. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XII. 188, 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl., Ork. 1929 Marw.; Sh. 1968). [′rʌnək]Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 591:
Donal o Nius' mukkle glekkit goat, it wiz cullin him dere i da runnik.Sh. 1892 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 259:
Fir truly ta won till her I could a geen up troo a runnick.Sh. 1916 J. Burgess Rasmie's Smaa Murr (14 May):
Whin raeson slips faeth, shö goes clash i da runnik.Sh. 1956 Shetland News (4 Dec.):
To clean out the midden runnick.Ork. 2004:
Runnick for a gutter in the byre is common in the south isles.
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"Runnick n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/runnick>
