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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.

SNORE, v., n. Also snor(r), snurr (Jak.). Sc. forms and usages:

I. v. 1. Of animals: to snort (Kcb. 1971). Now only dial. in Eng.Ayr. 1786 Burns To his Auld Mare viii.:
How thou wad prance, an' snore, an' Scriegh.Per. 1898 C. Spence Poems 57:
He [a bull] roared and bored and sniffed and snored.

2. To make a rushing, whirring, droning sound, esp. of wind, fire, etc. (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Ayr. 1923 Wilson D. Burns 186; Sh., Cai., Abd., Kcb. 1971). Also in n.Eng. dial and fig.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize I. xiv.:
My ain bellows snoring at a gaud o' iron in the fire.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 104:
Efter we hed aboot a packie an' a half in, da tow began ta snore heavy upo' da cabe.Uls. 1884 Cruck-a-Leaghan and Slieve Gallion Lays and Leg. 38:
Without, the storm might sough and snore.Kcb. 1893 Crockett Raiders vii.:
It's the lassie I'm vexed for; the rest might snore up in reek for me.Sh. 1895 Williamson MSS. (4 March):
He's begun ta snore up i da door.Lth. 1915 J. Fergus Sodger (1925) 25:
The fire roars, snores, pours up the lum.

Comb. and derivs.: ¶(1) snoreipadakol [snore upo(n) the coal], a strip of meat roasted over a fire; (2) snorer, a child's toy (see quot.) (Ayr. 1971); (3) snoriben, snorie-bane, snory-, snorro-; snerro-bon, id., made of one of the leg-bones of a pig or of wood (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1914 Angus Gl.; Sh. (snorie-), Ork. (snorro-) 1971); (4) snorick, -ek, -ag, id. (Edm.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Cai. 1971, snorag). Cf. sneerig s.v. Sneer. Fig. in quot. in phr. to mak a snorag o' oneself, to demean oneself.(1) Sh. 1948 New Shetlander No. 8 (Jan–Feb.) 3:
Whin snoreipadakol an' tattie My lips smacked ower, baith lean an fatty.(2) Uls.² 1932:
I made snorers both of thin board and of tinplate. These consisted of, say a piece of thin board about 3 inches square with two holes about 3/4 inches apart for the cord, which held with both hands and twisted and untwisted produced a snoring or buzzing sound.(3) Sh. 1967 New Shetlander No. 81. 13:
A snorie-bane or windy-craa We mony a time wid play wis wi.(4) Cai. 1922 J. Horne Poems 103:
Mercy me, dinna mak a snorag o' yersel', Maister David! Mind, ye're a precentor in 'e kirk.

3. To move at speed with a rushing roaring sound (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 125; Sh., Ork., Per., Kcb. 1971), freq. of a ship. In 1908 quot. appar. to draw up to, to approach.Dmf. 1822 A. Cunningham Tales II. 169:
We shall come snoring back in our barge.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 137:
Wha kens that the fox isna away snorin happy afore the houn's?Sc. 1834 M. Scott Tom Cringle x.:
She began to snore through it like smoke.Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. vi. 222:
I aye toucht he wad a' been snorrin ap for terty onywey.em.Sc. 1926 H. Hendry Poems 111:
When granite-stanes slip snoring Alang the soopit ice.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 90:
He tore aboot on a motor-bike. Every Setterday efternoon he wis snoran awa tae Kirkwall.Sh. 1963 New Shetlander No. 67. 7:
A hoosefoo of fokk, singin an playin, yallin an scriechin, an snorin back an fore ita kerrs.

4. Only in ppl.adj. snoring, large, of generous size. Cf. Eng. a snorter, anything exceptional for its size.Ayr. c.1892 R. Lawson Ball. Carrick 8:
Not only tay, but eggs and ham, And, to keep them down, a snoring dram.

II. n. 1. A snort, a roar, a loud roaring or droning noise (Sh., Cai. 1971).Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 1:
The growlin' win' maks monnie a piteous snore.Gall. 1832 J. Denniston Craignilder 60:
Now dark December's wintry snore, Rang through the leafless wood.Sh. 1892 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 251:
Sontin gies a snore up ower da riggin o' da hoose.s.Sc. 1935 Border Mag. (March) 35:
Like a horse when he gi'es a snore.

2. In pl.: a disease causing snuffling which affects animals, the snivels. Also in Eng. dial.Kcd. 1844 W. Jamie Muse of Mearns 157:
May he ne'er be subject unto snors.