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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SINDER, v., adv. Also synder (Sc. 1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms 1); sin(n)er; suner (Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 129), sunner (ne.Sc. 1928 J. Wilson Hamespun 65); and rarely sither [ < *sinther]. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. sunder, to part, separate, poet. or arch. [′sɪndər; n. and wm.Sc. ′sɪnər]

I. v. 1. tr. To sunder, separate one from another (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 269; I., ne.Sc., Ags., Lnl., Lnk., sm. and s.Sc. 1970), specif. to single, hoe out (overcrowded seedlings, esp. turnips) (ne.Sc. 1970). Ppl.adj. sinert, parted, separated (Abd. 1924 Swatches o' Hamespun 48). Combs.†neep-sinerin, the thinning of turnips; sindering day, the parting day after a fair or festival.Abd. c.1803 D. Anderson Sawney and John Bull 8:
For sev'ral years this club did last, Till siner't by a curst out-cast.Abd. 1828 P. Buchan Ballads I. 97:
They're thinking to sinder our lang love.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie i.:
Foul fa' them wha sindered ye.m.Sc. 1872 W. Stevenson Yetts o' Muckart 43:
Hoo to sither ane frae anither.Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond B. Bowden (1922) 129:
It's easier gettin' tied till an impident wife than gettin smdered frae her.Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 151:
It was only on the eve of the “sindering day” that he reached the festive dwelling.Ork. 1912 J. Omond 80 Years Ago 8:
The herd boys tied a lot of the horses' tails together and there was a gay time until they got sindered.Fif. 1912 D. Rorie Mining Folk 400:
A family of three is looked on as ideal: “twa to fecht an' ane to sinder.”Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 18:
I the mids o a michty ceetie fer away sindert.ne.Sc. 1929 M. W. Simpson Day's End 20:
Daith sanna seek to sinner you an' me!Abd. 1951 Buchan Observer (26 June):
“Neep-sinerin',” as the farm people of a former generation used to call the singling, or first hoeing of turnips.Fif. 1991 Tom Hubbard in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 145:
Tho forefowk fae their efter-kin
Are sindered bi the years, Abd. 1995 Sheena Blackhall Lament for the Raj 15:
Like a shipwracked boatie
Ooto the warld's steer
Its anchor lowsed and sinnert.
Ceit spied the ram
At the hairt o the windblawn muir
an winnert. Arg. 1998 Angus Martin The Song of the Quern 53:
There's aye a wheen o wars gan on
aroon the warld, an aye will be;
it's jeest yer luck if ye get struck
an sunnert fae yer faimily. em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 9:
Syne sindert fit an haun forgaither
That fell in fechtin faur apairt;
A dunnerin dirls amang the banes
As they conjyne frae ilka airt.

2. intr. To part company, to come apart or to pieces (Ayr. 1970); with wi': to part with. Vbl.n. sindering, parting (Cld. 1880 Jam.), esp. freq. in pl. sin(d)rins, -ans, sinerance, the parting of roads, a road-fork (ne., Ags., Fif., Lnk., sm.Sc. 1970), also fig.Sc. 1722 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) III. 9:
How Joukum sinder'd wi' his Bonnet.Sc. 1733 W. Thomson Orpheus Caled. II. 83:
For we twa ne'er can sinder.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 122:
The Carlin said, be not afraid, Ye'll never synner mair.Kcd. 1827 G. Menzies Poems 109:
What need we care though it sinder in twa?Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 591:
Afoar du an I sinders.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan I. ix.:
Here's the sindrins of the roads.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 22:
We could sunder wi' oor wealth.Abd. 1916 G. Abel Wylins 48:
Fatever sin'rins lie in front.Ags. 1932 A. Gray Arrows 53:
Guid-nicht, lass, and guid-bye; Noo maun we sinder.ne.Sc. 1956 Mearns Leader (13 Jan.):
There wis a collush atween twa cars at the sinerance.

II. adv. Apart, so as to (be) separate(d). Obs. in Eng. since 16th c. Also in form sinders (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 269), see -S, suff. Comb. sinder-casten, of furrows: ploughed inwards from the Feerins of two rigs, so that the furrows on either side of the Hint or Mids lean away from one another (Ork. 1929 Marw.).