Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

TRICKER, n.1 Also trikker.

1. The catch or trigger of a gun (n.Sc., ‡Edb., Lnk. 1973). Also fig.Sc. 1736 Trial Capt. J. Porteous 13:
[He] must be demean'd as a Murderer, if his malicious Purpose preceeded the drawing of the Tricker.
Mry. 1745 Elchies Letters (MacWilliam) 18:
Ane idle fellow drew the tricker of a pistoll.
m.Lth. 1812 P. Forbes Poems 13:
For ilka time he draws the tricker, He's sure o' winnin'.
Ags. 1823 A. Balfour Foundling III. iii.:
Indeed, I had my finger upo' the tricker o' the pistol.
Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 201:
Now revel deftly draws his brand, An' quirky fun his tricker.
Gsw. 1860 J. Young Poorhouse Lays 122:
Sheuk i' the pan a flou o' pouther . . . On the tricker plac'd a finger.
Abd. 1925 A. Murison Rosehearty Rhymes 13:
His han' touched the trikker, an' aff gaed the shot.

2. The latch or spring of a door or the like.Sc. 1787 W. Taylor Poems 62:
I heezt the tricker . . . an' hat the hallen A thump fu' sicker.
Dmf. 1829 W. Caesar Jaunt 11:
For him that used to nip life's thread Wi' gallows' tricker.

[The form is also found in Eng. during the 17th c. and still in Eng. dial. from Du. trekker, a trigger, < trekken, to pull. The Eng. form trigger first appears later in the 17th c.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Tricker n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/tricker_n1>

27610

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: