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 2001 (DOST Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Snak(e, Snaik, n. Also: snayk. [ME and e.m.E. snake (a1200), snack (1559), snayke (1570), OE snaca, MLG snake.] A snake. b. In fig. or allusive use: A treacherous or cunning person. c. attrib. with stone, the sense is unclear, and glas ? a type of glass. c1420 Wynt. i 1377 (W).
Nakyne best of venome … As ask, edder, snaik or taid c1500 Rowll Cursing 161 (M).
Snaykis serpentis and edderis 1513 Doug. xii xiii 136.
All elike wymplit and cled thir trakis With eddris thrawin and harys full of snakis c1520-c1535 Nisbet Rom. iii 13.
The venomme of snakis is vndire thar lippis 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Ane watter snaik 1585 James VI Ess. 40.
With all yon thre, whose hairs are snaiks full blew 1587 Carmichael Etym. 8.
Anguis, a snaik a1605 Montg. Sonn. xxvii 4.
I am a lizard … And not a snaik, with poyson him to byteb. 1567 G. Ball. 186.
O cankerit carionnis and o ȝe rottin stakis, O stangand edderis, and o ȝe poisound snakis 1585 James VI Ess. 37.
Where one … Goes lyke a crafty snaik, and stoppes his eare: The other … mocks 1688 Reg. Privy C. 3 Ser. XIII 292.
He heard the Lord Duffus … call the defunct a snaik and a cheatc. 1599 Colville Lett. 200.
Knowing our Scottis court never to be so quiet, as it is, bot when thai hath sum snaik stone Quande le meschant dort, le diable le bersse 1647 Edinb. Test. LXIII 215b.
xxviij snaik glasis pryce of the peice iiij s.