Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

SKUNE, n., v. Also skuin, skuan, sküin, sküan, skön(e), sk(y)oan. Most freq. in dim. forms skunee, skunie, -y, skünie, sköni(e), sköna. [skøn(i)]

I. n. Sh. sea-taboo name for a knife (Sh. 1825 Jam., 1908 Jak. (1928), 1914 Angus Gl.), now also in gen., though jocular, use (Sh. 1970).Sh. 1836 Gentleman's Mag. II. 591:
[He] klikkit da skúnee oot o' mee haand.Sh. 1889 Chambers's Jnl. (26 Oct.) 675:
This was, never, when at sea, to call a thing on land by its right name. . . A knife was a “skyoan”.Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 111:
The fisherman, on coming to the point of crossing, took out his skön or tullie (sea knife), and made a scratch on the ground in the form of a cross.Sh. 1953 New Shetlander No. 35. 13:
One snaed the pilticks with the skoan.

II. v. To cut up (fish-bait) (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Deriv. skunie, id.Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.:
Skunie-bait: to open the shellfish, and take out the bait with a small blunt knife.