Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

†THANE, n.² Also thaen, thean. [θen]

1. A pennon.Mry. 1716 Thanes Cawdor (S.C.) 417:
Thanes for the horse heads [at a funeral].

2. A vane, weathercock (Sc. 1808 Jam.).Sc. 1726 W. Macfarlane Geog. Coll. (S.H.S.) I. 144:
The Pyramide is now slaited, and hath a large brass globe and thane on the top of it.Gsw. 1755 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1911) 455:
A copper thean, a copper ballister and a copper globe for the new steeple.Per. 1758 Atholl MSS.:
To putting on the thaen on the pole in Lawn.Abd. 1782 W. Orem Description 21:
With cross thanes of iron on the top of each of them.