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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GAVELOCK, n.1 Also †gavelache (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 456). An iron crowbar, a lever (w.Sc. 1741 A. M'Donald Galick Vocab. 52; Inv.1, Slg.3 1953), “used in quarrying stones” (Sc. 1808 Jam.); “an iron pinch bar used for making holes in the ground for setting up a post” (Mry.1 1925). Obs. exc. dial. in Eng. Cf. Gellock, n.1 [′ge:vlək]Sc. 1724 R. Wodrow Analecta (M.C.) III. 158:
They prepared gavelocks and other instruments, and did their work most dexterously.
Rnf. 1745 W. Hector Judicial Rec. (1878) 190:
Two quarry mells, three Gavelocks, five picks, and thritty-five Wedges, all of them iron.
Abd. 1752 Abd. Journal (7 April):
All kinds of Garden-utensils, with Gavelocks and Picks, Stone and Coup-carts.
s.Sc. 1824 J. Telfer Border Ballads 83:
And gavelock, pinch, and sledge hammer, With might and main they plied.
Sc. 1827 W. Motherwell Minstrelsy 337:
Wi' plough coulters and gavelocks They made the jail house door to flee.

[O.Sc. has gavillok, gavelock, gaiflock, etc., id., from 1451. Cf. O.E. gafeloc, a javelin, gafol, a fork.]

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"Gavelock n.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gavelock_n1>

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