A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Attircop, Attercop, n. Also: attyr-, attercope, athercape; ettercop(e, -coip. [ME. attercop, -coppe, OE. áttorcoppe, = MDa. etherkopp, Da. edderkop.]
1. A spider. c1420 Wynt. viii. 1778.
He belyd in to berth [= brethe] , … Alsa kobbyd in his crope, As he had ettyn ane attyr cope a1499 Contempl. Sinn. 54.
As attircop fechtis to fang a fle, Makand hir net 1490 Irland Mir. MS. 335.
Anacharses … said that the lawis of the realme are lik to the wobe of the attircop 1586 Calderwood IV. 539.
Like to the venemous attercope, who … drinkes up the corrupt and poysonable humors a1605 Montg. Sonn. v. 12.
The attircops Minervas office vsis
b. A spiteful or venomous person. a1508 Kennedy Flyt. 523.
Thow irefull attircop [M. ettercop], Pilate apostata a1605 Montg. Flyt. 93.
Little angrie attercop [Tull. ettercoip], and auld vnsell aipe
2. Attrib. in attircop wob, a spider's web. a1500 Bk. Chess 802.
Ouir suith it is … The ettercope vobbis ar thir lawis lyk 1600-1610 Melvill 188.
Lyk ather-cape wobbes that taks the sillie flies, bot the bumbarts braks throw tham!
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Attircop n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/attircop>