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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

WEAR, v. Also weer (Abd. 1754 R. Forbes Shop Bill 32; Sc. 1876 A. B. Grosart Wilson's Poems I. xxxv.; Kcb. a.1902 Gallovidian (1913) No. 59. 108; Lth., Ayr. 1923–6 Wilson; wm.Sc. 1934 “Uncle Tom ” Tea Pairty 22; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; I., n.Sc., em.Sc.(b), sm. and s.Sc. 1973), werr, weir (Edb. 1819 J. Thomson Poems 105; Abd. 1868 G. MacDonald R. Falconer i. v.; e.Lth. 1908 J. Lumsden Th' Loudons 51; Sc. 1929 T. W. Paterson Sc. Readings II. 105); †wyre (Abd. p.1768 A. Ross Works (S.T.S.) 182). Sc. forms and usages. [wi:r, em.Sc. (a) we:r. See P.L.D. § 88.]

A. Forms. Pr.t. as above.  Pa.t. strong, now gen. wore, wuir (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209), wure (Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 153; Rnf. 1813 E. Picken Poems I. 95; Ags. 1880 Arbroath Guide (9 Oct.) 4; Sh. 1918 T. Manson Peat. Comm. 55, Sh. 1973), wü(o)r (Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 32, 90), wüer (Sh. 1897 Shetland News (19 June), wör (Sh. 1905 E.D.D.), woor (Ayr. 1785 Burns To W. Simpson ps. iii.), weur (Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 5) [wør]; weer (Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 70; ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 27; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.), wear (Abd. 1882 W. Alexander My Ain Folk 199) [wi:r. See P.L.D. § 128]; ware (Abd. c.1750 Garland Bon-Accord (1886) 14; Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy xxviii.), weak weared (Sc. c.1700 Bonny Lizie Baillie in Child Ballads No. 227 xix.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 8), weered (Arg. 1917 A. W. Blue Quay Head Tryst 146). Pa.p. strong worn (Gen.Sc.), †wuorn (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209), wurn (Slk. 1899 C. M. Thomson Drummeldale 114; Lnk. 1927 G. Rae Where Falcons Fly 12; Rxb. 1942 Zai), wirn (Ork. 1929 Old-Lore Misc. IX. ii. 78), wore (Slg. 1819 Edb. Ev. Courant (22 July) 1; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 40; m.Lth. 1870 J. Lauder Warblings 102), ¶ware (Ayr. 1787 Burns Gudewife of Wauchope v.); weak weared (Kcb. 1898 Crockett Standard Bearer i.), weart (Abd. 1926 Trans. Bch. Field Club XIII. 40). wm.Sc. 1985 Liz Lochhead Tartuffe 17:
And the man who kens the finger-o-scorn's
Pinted at him because he weers the horns
Has made his wife nae better than she should be!Gsw. 1993 Herald 7 Jun 10:
Dr Reid ... tell't me aboot Sir David Steele, who wis a chieftin furra games before. Reid sez Steele werrs a kilt like a lassie. wm.Sc. 1994 Bill Sutherland A Clydeside Lad 24:
She uset tae werr her herr ... like that ... Sc. 1994 Herald 6 Jun 6:
"Emma," ah sez to the lass, "d'ye no think the kilt yer werrin' is maybe a touch shoart?" ... Ah hope she werrs it nixt year an a'.Dundee 1996 Matthew Fitt Pure Radge 18:
werrin sumdy else's schune
hou could ye be werrin sumbdy else's schuneEdb. 2004:
Weerin yer new claes tae yer work. Really!

B. Usages. 1. As in Eng., (1) vbl.n. wearin, used attrib.: (i) of clothes: for everyday use, esp. outside working hours, belonging to one's ordinary apparel (Sh. 1901 Shetland News (28 Sept.); Cai. 1905 E.D.D.; Sh., ne., wm.Sc., Dmf. 1973). Also transf. to domestic crockery or utensils (Ork., Dmf. 1973, wearin cheena); (ii) in comb. wearing piece, see quot.; (2) pa.p. worn, of a working dog: past service (Cai. 1973).(1) (i) Per. 1881 D. MacAra Crieff 82:
Jamie, nearly demented, in bed, with his wearing clothes still on.Sh. 1918 J. Nicholson Hentilagets 14:
Dy waerin socks ir holey.Rnf. 1935 L. Kerr Woman of Glenshiels 54:
Youths in blue serges described as “wearing ” clothes to distinguish their condition of service from “Sunday ” clothes and “working ” clothes.(ii) Sc. 1831 J. C. Loudon Encycl. Agric. 391:
The lower edge of the mould-board, on the most improved forms, is in a separate piece, which, when it wears, can be taken off and renewed. The technical name of this slip of iron is the wearing piece.(2) Abd. 1957 Abd. Press & Jnl. (28 Jan.):
Farm Dog, or Bitch, half worn. Wanted.

2. intr. To move in a slow, gradual, cautious manner, to go in a specified direction by degrees or unobtrusively (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 207; I., n., em.Sc. (a) 1973); rarely tr. with cogn. accus. in phr. to wear one's wa(s), to make one's way, to make off.Abd. c.1795 J. Skinner Amusements (1809) 77:
[He] stept up the brae, and leukit at her, Syne wear his wa wi' heavy moan.Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings (1873) 31:
Jean, we'll need to wear hame.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 55:
He weer's waas as faist's he wiz aible.Abd. 1880 W. Robbie Glendornie iii.:
I can see 'at the crood's wearin' east already aifter the sodgers.Abd. 1891 T. Mair Arn and his Wife 56:
An' whan he had his denner in, Got up an' wore his wa's.

Specif. with advs. and preps.: (1) wear aff, (i) intr., to make off quietly, to slip away; to crumble to pieces, to die (Sh. 1973); (ii) tr. to pay off (a debt) little by little (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 207; Per. 1973); (2) wear awa, (i) = (1) (i) above (ne.Sc. 1973); (ii) fig., to depart this life, to pass away, to die. Gen.Sc.; (3) wear doun (the brae), to grow old (Ork., Abd. 1973); (4) wear in, (i) of seeds: to begin to appear in the ground, to sprout; (ii) of time, to approach (Cai., Bnff., Ags., Edb., Ayr., Dmf. 2000s); (5) wear in by, to approach, draw near (Per. 1973). See In by; (6) wear in o, to acquire (possessions, a knack, etc.) by degrees, to get the hang of (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 207); (7) wear intil, -into, (i) id. (Ib.); (ii) to proceed slowly towards; to approach (a period of the day, year, etc.); to work one's way into, fig. in 1956 quot. (Uls. 1973); (8) wear on, (i) = (7) (ii) (Ork. 1973); (ii) to be advancing in age, to grow older (Ork., n.Sc. Ags. 1973); (9) wear out, of news: to leak out (Sh. 1973); (10) wear out of, to pass from, leave behind, to become estranged from, in regard to friendship (Abd. 1973); (11) wear ower, of time; to grow late (ne., em.Sc. (a) 1973); of persons: = (8) (ii) (Sh., Abd. 1973); (12) wear roun, (i) prep., to walk slowly round; fig. to prevail on, win over to one's wishes, get round (I.Sc. 1973); (ii) adv., to recover (from an illness), to recuperate (Abd. 1973); (13) wear tee, to improve, come to rights, recover one's health; (14) wear throu, (i) adv., to get through a task by degrees (Ork., n.Sc. 1973); (ii) prep., to waste, consume (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 207; ne.Sc., Per. 1973); (15) wear to, of weather: to turn to, to change to, show signs of altering to (ne.Sc. 1973); (16) wear up, intr., to grow, advance in time, age or amount (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 207; Sh., ne.Sc. 1973). Also occas. tr.(1) Edb. 1767 Session Papers, Gilkie v. Wallace (25 April) 9:
The person in the white coat upon this left the other, and weared of.(2) (i) Ags. 1821 D. Shaw Songs 7:
Jock Bull, I fear, will never yield We'll better wear awa, man.Abd. 1836 J. Grant Tales of Glens 67:
Mains wore awa' arm't as he was.Abd. 1887 W. Carnie Waifs (1890) 9:
Thinkin' he wad weir-awa gey early till his bed.Sc. 1897 W. Beatty Secretar xx.:
I might only be wearing farther and farther away from him.Ork. 1949 “Lex” But-end Ballans 13:
He polished up his muckle branks o' glesses, Smirked, an' wore awa!Abd. 1963 Buchan Observer (9 July) 7:
We wore awa' the wye o' the gate.(ii) Per. c.1800 Lady Nairne Songs (Rogers 1905) 163:
I'm wearin' awa', John, Like snaw-wreaths in thaw, John.Ags. 1827 A. Laing Archie Allan 12:
Gin the daylight came in — he had worn awa'.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb x.:
The muckle feck o' fat wus leeft fan he wore awa'.Mry. 1908 J. Mackinnon Braefoot Sk. 52:
Aul' Hendry's worn awa' doon amon' ye.Sh. 1952 J. Hunter Taen wi da Trow 126:
O, he wis ill! Yea, very ill, An laek ta wear awa.Kcd. 1971 W. Christie Paucae Micae 18:
But when we a' maun wear awa' Dust or a shade we'll be, that's a'.(3) m.Sc. 1838 A. Rodger Poems 313:
I and my Jenny are baith wearin' down, And our lads and our lasses hae a' gotten married.Lnk. 1872 R. Tennant Wayside Musings 8:
When wearin' down life's slippery brae Wi' weary wanderin' sair.(4) (i) Abd. 1954 Huntly Express (4 June):
Turnips are “wearin' in ”, as farmers say, and early sown ones can be seen stringin' in the dreels.(ii) Edb. 2005:
The day's wearin in - we'll suin be able tae gaun.(5) Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 81:
We'll cast about, an' come upo' the boucht. I think I see't my sell; we'll wear in by.(6) Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 207:
They hidna muckle fin they geed thegither, bit they weer in o' their bits a thingies.Abd. 1973:
Ay, that's mair like the thing. Ye're wearin in o't, I can see.(7) (ii) Sc. 1825 Jam.:
One who is feeble, when moving to a certain place, is said to be wearing in to it.Ags. 1889 Brechin Advert. (12 March) 3:
We're wearin' into the grey o' the evenin'.ne.Sc. 1956 Mearns Leader (9 March):
Molie wis wearin' intae a big bowl o' brose.(8) (i) Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 53:
It had worn on twelve o' clock.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 245:
I was wearin on through the moss.(ii) Kcd. 1932 L. G. Gibbon Sunset Song 25:
Both were wearing on a bit, sore in the need of a man.(9) ne.Sc. 1836 J. Grant Tales of Glens 184:
She was farther than ever from being satisfied; but she said to herself, “Weel, never mind, it'll wear out in a wee.”(10) Sc. 1705 Observator (16 May) 36:
I think we shall wear out of our acquaintance? What has come of you these two weeks?(11) Abd. 1896 J. R. Imray Sandy Todd vi.:
I'll hae tae be biddin' you guid nicht, for 'ts weerin' ower in the evenin'.Abd. 1973:
Fan a bodie wears ower in years.(12) (i) Abd. 1836 J. Grant Ballads 254:
She turn'd, an' roun' the dizzyin' cleuch, Wi' tremblin' limbs she wore.Sc. 1880 Jam.:
She'll wear roun him yet.(ii) Sc. 1880 Jam.:
He's wearin roun fast again.(13) Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 52, 200:
Oh weel, things 'll weer tee. . . . Oh weel, ye'll weer tee again.(14) Abd. 1912 G. Greig Mains's Wooin' 46:
We'll weer throw by-and-by — wi' a push, like.(15) Rnf. 1927 J. H. Bone Loud-Speaker 17:
It's wearin' to rain oot-bye.(16) Lnk. 1792 W. Young Airdrie Fair 4:
An' now it's wearing up the day.s.Sc. 1793 T. Scott Poems 324:
The bairns worn up, an' frae them far, By fortune ta'en.Sc. 1849 M. Oliphant M. Maitland xxii.:
The friends at home, that were wearing up into years like me.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Tales 32:
He wüor up till he cam ta da bones o' meesery himsell.Mry. 1887 A. G. Wilken Peter Laing 37:
I was fin'it first fae ten shillin's till a guinea, but it weer an' up till twenty poun'.