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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.

WIN, v.² Also winn, wind; wun, won, wonn. Pa.t. strong wan (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209, Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1915–26 Wilson). Pa.p. strong win(n), won (Ib.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai); weak winned. [wɪn, wʌn. See P.L.D. § 76.1.]

1. tr. and intr. Of cut corn, hay, peats , etc.: to dry and make or become ready for storage by exposure to air and sun (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Sh. 1914 Angus Gl.; Per., Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1815–26 Wilson; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Uls. 1953 Traynor). Gen Sc.Slg. 1707 Balgair Court Min. (S.R.S.) 5:
And ordaines the masters thrie cottars to wind the saids peets sufficiently yearly.Sc. 1733 P. Lindsay Interest Scot. 152:
He builds up in a Stack like Corn, after it [flax] is thoroughly win.Sc. 1759 Session Papers, Forbes v. Fullarton (15 Jan.) 12:
The Peats casten in the said Month were sometimes not so well winned.Abd. 1777 J. Anderson Essays I. 255:
It [hay] never, in this case, wins so kindly as if it had been dry cut.m.Lth. 1795 G. Robertson Agric. M. Lth. 100:
Particularly in damp weather, it [barley after cutting] is left broad-band (untied) for two or three days, to accelerate the winning.Clc. 1814 P. Graham Agric. Clc. 337:
Hay is cut at 4s. per Scots acre. It is win, as it is called, or prepared for stacking, for 3s. more.Sc. 1841 Trans. Highl. Soc. XIII. 203:
A method which I have lately followed in winning the second crop of clover.Sc. 1861 E. B. Ramsay Reminisc. 9:
No a rantin', tantin', tearin' wind, but a noohin' (noughin?), soughin', winnin' wind.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 152:
Loading the ponies with it [hay] to be carried to the toon mails, where it was to be spread out for winning.Sc. 1879 P. Waddell Isaiah xv. 6:
The hay's winn till nought.Uls. 1900 A. McIlroy By Lone Craig-Linnie Burn 20:
We may begin an' cut the gress, in the mornin'. It'll be nae riper, an'll wun fast this wather.Rxb. 1927 E. C. Smith Braid Haaick 24:
Wei'll suin wun the hai-ee wui this graand dryin wund.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick x.:
Turn 'e shaves tae lat 'em dry an' won.

2. tr. and intr., in gen.: to dry out, season (wood, cheese, etc.). Gen.Sc. Ppl.adj. win, wun, dried out, wind-dried. Gen.Sc.Sc. 1724 Treatise on Fallowing 12:
That Ground, dry plowed, winds and rots as they call it.Sc. 18th c. Jacob. Relics (Hogg 1819) I. 77:
Ye'll run me out o' wun spunks.Sc. 1829 G. Robertson Recoll. 85:
Their own timber in its green state [they] laid up to win on the balks of this wrights shop.Sc. 1844 H. Stephen Bk. Farm III. 909:
It [sc. a pig's stomach] is then hung stretched over a stick near the fire, to dry and won, and in the dried state is kept for use as rennet by the next season.Fif. 1883 W. D. Latto Bodkin Papers 89:
I've eaten win' skate, speldrins, an' oon cakes.Knr. 1887 H. Haliburton Puir Auld Scot. 18:
A bundle of thicker ash sticks stood in a corner to win', or season.Sh. 1949 New Shetlander No. 14. 29:
A mülick was the ears that were dropped on the rig during the harvest operations. They were carefully gathered one by one, carried to the house at the end of the day and tied in a mülick or little bundle, which was hung in the ceiling to “win.”

3. Combs.: (1) winnin-field, a field used for the drying of a corn- or hay-crop; (2) win-seed, dried and ripened (flax-)seed used for sowing the subsequent year; ¶(3) wunyerd, ? a yard for the drying of corn. Cf. (1).(1) Fif. 1916 G. Blaik Rustic Rhymes 39:
On the auld winnin'-fields, aft I herded the kye, Aye speerin' the time at ilk passer by.(2) Sc. 1725 Directions for Propagating Lint 7:
Changing the Soil may continue the use of Win-seed or Home Lint-seed a Year or two longer.(3) Sc. 1847 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 234:
There was a clean chase owre the craft park, and up the wunyerd, and in amang the whins.