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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WAYGATE, n. Also wa'gate (Lnk. 1825 Jam.), wa(ye)gait, wayget (Lth. 1825 Jam.).

1. Passageway, thoroughfare; room, space (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Also fig.Sc. a.1800 Jacob. Relics (Hogg 1819) 24:
He's awa to sail, Wi' water in his waygate, An' wind in his tail.Sc. 1866 Carlyle Reminisc. I. 101:
“Upon all these you have will and waygate,” an expressive Annandale phrase of the completest welcome.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B. 324:
There's no muckle waygate in this sma' hoose.

2. Speed, progress, headway (Lnk., Lth. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1973); push, drive, energy (Lnk. 1973). Also in n.Eng. dial.Slk. 1875 Border Treasury (8 May) 463:
Aw didna make abune a hunder yards o' waygate i' twenty minutes.Kcb. 1900:
He [a shearer] could do't weel eneuch but he had nae wa'gate.Ayr. 1966:
He has nae wa'gait about him.

3. A way of escape; an exit, escape; specif. a means of drainage for surplus water.Sc. 1833 J. Jackson Essays Agric. Subjects 29:
It will deepen the soil, give the surface-water a proper waygate.s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell Psalms lv. 8:
I wad haesen my saufe wayegait frae the wundie stourm an' tempist.

4. A means of getting sale for produce or goods, an outlet. Cf. Outgate.Kcb. c.1930:
The grocer gets sae mony eggs he canna get waygate for them.