Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BELL-WARE, Belliwar, Belly-waar, Bell-war, n. A coarse sea-weed, Fucus vesiculosus. [′bɛl′wɑ:r, ′bɛlɪ′wɑ:r, ′bɛl′we:r]Cai. 1907 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 65:
Bell-war. The laminæ of tangles and other sea-weeds that grow in deep water or at the “grun ebb.”Sth. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XXI. 218:
There is about 10 tons of kelp made, at an average, yearly in this parish, of the bell ware.Mry.¹ 1925:
belliwar; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D.Bnff.:
belly-waar; Bnff. 1920 (per Mry.²):
bellwar (Portsoy); Bnff.⁹ c.1927:
belliwar; Abd.¹⁶ 1933:
bell-ware; w.Sc. 1887 Jam.⁶:
bell-weed, bell-ware.