Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1881-1914
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BYKE, BIKE, Bicht, n.3 (See second and third quots.) Known to Bnff.2 1938. [bəik, bt]ne.Sc. 1881 W. Gregor Folk-Lore of N.-E. Scot. 30:
If the “byke o' the crook” or “the shalls” are turned towards the door when a new female servant makes her arrival, she will in no long time leave the service.Mry.2 1914:
Bike, used of the hook fixed in a crook (chain) suspended from a swey (a crane) over an open fireplace. The bike may be moved from link to link of the chain, to regulate heat as required for cooking.w.Sc. 1887 Jam.6:
Bike, Byke, Bicht. The bend of a hook; also, the hook at the end of the chain by which a pot is suspended over a fire, or, the hook or bend of the crook.
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"Byke n.3". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 May 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/byke_n3>
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