Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Scabrous, Skabrous, adj. [17th c. Eng. scabrous (a1637), F. scabreux (c1500 in Larousse), late L. scabrōsus, L. scabr-, shortened stem of scaber roughly uneven, etc.] a. Rough and uneven in surface. b. Of style: Crude; unpolished. c. Of questions, etc.: Difficult to resolve. — —a. ?1549 Monro W. Isles (1961) 53.
[Ane rockie scabrous iyle callit] … the Gaytis Ile —b. a1585 Polwart Flyt. 25 (T).
Thy raggit roundaillis … Sum … [out] of lyne With skabrous collouris c1590 Fowler II 28/30.
His scabrous compend … did in weary affternoins refresch vs —c. 1643 Rec. Kirk Scotl. 381.
We hope to give light to these scabrous questions 1649 Baillie III 99.
Finding the letter … to be so hask, and the instructions so scabrous, that [etc.]