Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SEARCH, n.², v.² Sc. form of Eng. searce, now obs. or dial. in Eng. [sɛrtʃ]

I. n. As in Eng., a sieve, strainer, riddle (ne.Sc., Ags. 1969).Sc. 1736 Mrs. McLintock Receipts 13:
When ripe, take the Stones and Stalks away; put them [cherries] through a Search.Sc. 1745 Scots Mag. (Feb.) 74:
Squeeze your four dozen oranges and ten limons, filtrate the juice through a hair-search.Sc. 1774 Weekly Mag. (8 Sept.) 326:
The search is made of fine brass wire, is about two feet long, and a foot and an half broad, and fixed obliquely to the lower part of the hopper, while the grain goes through the first and second time.Abd. 1824 Farmer's Mag. (May) 136:
The milk, when brought in from the cows, should be strained through a fine hair search or strainer.Kcd. 1893 C. A. Mollyson Fordoun 315:
A “search” or “seydish”.

II. v. To put through a sieve, to sift, strain (ne.Sc., Ags. 1969); to extract the juice from.Sc. 1736 Mrs. McLintock Receipts 4:
Take a lib. of Candy-broad Sugar, beat it and search it.Per. 1766 H. Robertson School of Arts 18:
Take a common biscuit, toast it hard before the fire, beat it and search it.Sc. 1807 Farmer's Mag. (Aug.) 365:
Too great heats of water appear to be used in the 1st and 2nd maskings by which means the grain and malt of barley are not searched properly.