A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1513, 1581-1623
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
Quhir(r, n. [Late north. ME and e.m.E. qwirre, whirre (a1450), whurre (a1553); cf. Quhirr v.] Whirring movement through the air. b. ? The sound of this. — 1513 Doug. xii v 114.
The sovir schaft flaw quhisland with a quhir [: byr, L. sonitum dat stridula cornus] Thar as it slydis scherand throw the ayr 1581-1623 James VI Poems I 141/250.
Then uingis of Aquilo thay uith a quhirr more suddain short Flee touartis man 1581-1623 Ib. 241/364.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Quhir n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/quhirr_n>
