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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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

UDDER, n. Also uther (Arg. 1711 Arg. Justiciary Rec. (Stair Soc.) II. 268; Cld. 1825 Jam.; Lth. 1926 Wilson Cent. Scot. 272; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Fif. 1950). Sc. form and usages of Eng. udder (Cai., m. and s.Sc. 1973). See also Ether, n.³ Combs.: 1. udder-clap, an inflammation or tumour affecting the udders of ewes; 2. udder-lock, gen. in pl., locks of wool growing round a ewe's udder (s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Cai., m. and s.Sc. 1973). Also used as a v., to pull away the wool from a sheep's udder to facilitate suckling (Cld., Rxb. 1825 Jam.; wm.Sc. 1973). Hence vbl.n. udder-locking. [′ʌdər; em.Sc. (b), s.Sc. ′ʌðər]Gsw. 1718 Burgh Rec. Gsw. (1909) 5:
Any lights, livers or uthers.Sc. 1724 Treatise on Fallowing 53:
They . . . discovers by their Uthers, such as are with Lamb.1. Rxb. 1825 Jam.:
Udder-clap, a sort of schirrous tumour affecting the udder of ewes, by an unexpected return of milk after being sometime eild.Sc. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm II. 620:
After recovery from lambing, the only complaint the ewe is subject to is inflammation in the udder, or udder-clap, or garget.2. Slk. 1794 T. Johnston Agric. Slk. 40:
The wool carefully pulled off from the udder, in order to let the lambs get more easily at the teats: which is called udder-locking.Slk. 1798 R. Douglas Agric. Slk. 259:
Udder-locks are the wool plucked from the udders.Dmf. 1822 A. Cunningham Tales II. 71:
I'm to have the cheese-siller, and the siller for the udder-locks.Sc. 1934 A. Fraser Herd of the Hills 51:
He had been tired out by the udder-locking, where every ewe has to be turned on its back, felt for its lamb, and the rough wool pulled off its udder so that a weak lamb might suck.s.Sc. 1956 Southern Reporter (5 Jan.):
When the udder-locking comes round.