Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

WEAVER, n. Also weiver (Rxb. 1752 Melrose Rec. (S.H.S.) III. 472), wyver (Abd. 1813 A. Jervise Epitaphs (1879) II. 368, 1825 Jam., 1884 D. Grant Lays 39; ne.Sc. 1973), weyver (Cai. 1869 M. MacLennan Peasant Life 255; Ags. 1897 F. MacKenzie Northern Pine 77), wiver (Abd. 1837 J. Leslie Willie & Meggie 35), wyever (Abd. 1884 D. Grant Lays 8); wiever (Ags. 1912 A. Reid Forfar Worthies 80). Sc. forms and usages. [′wivər; ne.Sc. ′wəivər (see P.L.D. § 126.2); Fif. + ′wevər]

1. Sc. form of Eng. weaver. Ags. 1994 Mary McIntosh in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 152:
It's my haunds I notice maist, real fite an bonny wi the veins showin, a touch bluachie. Nivir thocht tae hae haunds like this. Weel, ye widnae efter forty years wyvin at the jute. I wis a guid wyver.

In phr. and combs.: (1) to be fashed wi the weaver, to be lazy (Dmb. c.1905), sc. of one who likes to sit, as a weaver does; (2) weaver-kneed, knock-kneed, with the knees bent inwards (m.Sc. 1973); having sensitive or ticklish knees (wm.Sc. 1973); (3) weaver-looking, small and stunted, as weavers freq. were (Kcd. 1929 Montrose Standard (1 March)); (4) weaver's glass, a kind of magnifying glass mounted on a loom so that the weaver can examine the cloth as it is woven (Fif. 1822 P.R.S. Lang Duncan Dewar (1926) 10); (5) weaver's weight, a system of weighing wool, in which 1 lb. was equal to 1½ lbs. avoirdupois and there were 16 of the lbs. in a stone (Bwk. 1809 R. Kerr Agric. Bwk. 450); ¶(6) weaverty-waverty, a derisory name for a weaver, partly in imitation of the noise of the shuttle. Cf. Shiedeldy-shadeldy.(2) Kcb. 1900 R. J. Muir Mystery Muncraig ii.:
He was somewhat weaver-kneed.(3) Kcb. 1897 A. J. Armstrong Robbie Rankine 22:
A wee, lang-faced, weaver-looking cratur ye could hae stappit in your breek-pouch.(6) Lnk. 1886 A. G. Murdoch Readings I. 83:
Oor Davie was nae langer a puir, half-starved weaverty-waverty.

2. A knitter, esp. of stockings (Abd. 1825 Jam.).Abd. 1973:
The wife'll mak a gansey til ye; she's a gran wyver.

3. A spider (Uls. 1953 Traynor; ne.Sc., em.Sc. (a), wm.Sc., Wgt. 1973). Also attrib. and in comb. wyver's wob, a spider's web.Abd. 1875 G. MacDonald Malcolm (1927) xxv.:
He wad gie a great skriech, and rin as fast as his wee weyver legs cud wag.Abd. 1955 People's Jnl. (26 Nov.):
The pailin' an' lang girse wis hingin' wi' wyvers wobs.Abd. 1959 People's Jnl. (14 Nov.):
'Is book Ah wis reading tells ma there's 584 different kin's o' wyvers an' in Englan' an' Wales 2,200,000,000 of 'em.Abd. 1963 J. C. Milne Poems 63:
Nae wyvers and their moose-wobs wid be hingin on the wa's.Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web vi:
As a Scots screiver, I sit in the mids o ma culture, like a wyver in her wab. The wab is gossamer thin. It's fell intricate.