A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 2000 (DOST Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Scar-crow, Skar-craw, n. (e.m.E. scarre crow (1553), scar crow (1592) a person, or device, to frighten birds, also (1589) fig. = ‘something (not really formidable) that frightens or is intended to frighten’ (OED).) — a1651 Calderwood VII 97.
This was but a skarcraw to putt them in feare, where they needed not feare 1691 Lauder Jrnl. 301.
It may serve for ane beacon and scar-crow to the descendants to hold of thesse rocks and shelves
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Scar-crow n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/dost/scar_crow>
