Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

Scug(g, Skug(g, n. Also: scugge, skugge, scoug, scowg, skowg, skough. [ON skugge a shadow.]

1. Shadow (cast by, of, a tree, rock, etc.). Chiefly in pl.Freq. with connotations of gloom or impenetrable darkness.Common in Doug.(1) 1513 Doug. vi iv 43.
Amang the schaddowys and the skuggis mark 1513 Doug. vi vi 41.
The law skuggis of hell 1513 Doug. vii Prol. 47.
Thik drumly skuggis dyrknyt so the hevyn 1513 Doug. viii iv 202.
[They] Heldit his hed with skug Herculyane 1513 Doug. xiii Prol. 32.
The day [begouth] to dyrkyn … Baith heir and thar scuggis and schaddois dym(b) 1513 Doug. vi v 94.
Ene gan hym espy Amang dirk skowgis standand full drery 1513 Doug. xi iv 102.
Amang the gostis law in skowgis dern(2) 1513 Doug. vi iv 8.
A hidduus hoill … closit … With a fowle layk … And skuggis dym of a ful dern wod schaw 1513 Doug. vi iv 74.
As Jupiter, … With erdis skugg [Sm. scug] hydis the hevynnys all 1596 Dalr. I 30/29.
In the scoug of the craig and castell is a verie quyet hauining place

b. Shade. 1596 Dalr. II 321/26.
Hume with sum of his cumpaniounis slipis quyetlie in the skug [L. ad umbracula], and thair he rested and hid him selfe

2. Protection, defence or concealment afforded by, of, persons or material or non-material things.Freq., under scug (of).(1) 1456 Hay I 281/18.
How thai suld be punyst that beris otheris armes wrangwisly, in entencioun to do mys under scoug [ed. mysunderstong] of thame covertly a1578 Pitsc. II 282/15.
That the said lord micht have sic ane skug of him [sc. a counterfeit bishop] to the eies of the peopill that be him he micht obteine the proffeit of the said benefice 1596 Calderwood V 475.
And now would lay the guiltinesse of their malicious devices upon your lordships, as skugges of their iniquitie 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. xix.
Vnder skough of the conscience scruple, to adheare to this vncouth vse, it were but conceate 1611-57 Mure True Crucifixe 3035.
No scugge of Peters chayre, no vaine pretence Of powre … shall ought availe 1643 Baillie II 113.
Upon hopes that under his [sc. the ambassador's] skugg they should draw the Parliament to treaty c1650 Spalding I 296.
The schipman … convoyis thame [sc. the ships] secreitlie wnder the scowg of ane crag(2) a1578 Pitsc. II 283/26.
That thay micht mak hir [sc. the queen] skug and buclar in thair defence 1585 Calderwood IV 283.
Although these … bastard bishops be made a skugge, under the which [etc.] a1628 Carmichael Prov. No. 768.
He is bot a skug to my taill and a dail to be doing with c1688 A. Shields Some Notes or Heads of a Preface and of a Lecture preached at Distinckorn-hill in the Parish of Gaastoun, April 15, 1688 17.
Some did boast of their pretended performances, and do make them a scugg to hide their knavery with

b. A pretext. 1584 Melvill 179.
Making God's glorie, the cause of his kirk, of your king and comoun-weill, to be bot pretences and skugges 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 180.
They had no warrand from him to approach the limits of that country under scugg of hostility or surprise