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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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GIMMER, n.¹, v. Also gjimmer, -ir (Sh.). [Sc. ′gɪmər, Sh. + ′gjɪmər]

I. n. 1. A female sheep between its first and second shearing. Gen.Sc. Common in Eng. dial., gen. with meaning as above. Also used attrib.Sc. after 1714 Jacobite Relics (Hogg 1819) I. 118:
A rickle o' peats out-owre the knowe A gimmer, and a doddit yowe.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 133:
I red this Verse to my ain Kimmer, Wha kens I like a Leg of Gimmer.Ayr. 1787 Burns Death & Dr Hornbook xxvii.:
The lad, for twa guid gimmer-pets, Was laird himsel.Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf vii.:
I'll send you twa goats and twa fat gimmers, man, to make a' straight again.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales (1837) I. 194:
My pickle gimmers dinna need muckle at my hand just now, sae I'll gae an ax' my master for a day to see my fock.Abd. 1867 W. Anderson Rhymes 67:
Their gimmer was smored i' the snaw.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 121:
An' ap sheu lep tae the brig steen As hich as a yaird-lupan' gimmer.Fif. 1937 St Andrews Cit. (22 May) 9:
The gimmer, which had never been shown before, also carried off all breed honours.w.Sc. 1950 Scots Mag. (March) 421:
There is always trouble with many of the gimmers, the two-year-old ewes experiencing their first lambing.Sc. 2000 Herald 8 Apr 25:
Of course there's nothing quite like some seriously cold, wet, sleety weather for convincing our gimmers that dropping their lambs a few days early would be a good idea.

Phr.: the gimmer hillock, spinsterhood, gen. o(n) the gimmer hillock, of a woman: unmarried.Bch. 1832 W. Scott Poems 59:
Neglected maidens had nae cause to fear The gimmer hillock at five hundred year.Abd. 1875 W. Alexander My ain Folk 149:
He has seerly nae taste ava; an' sae mony bonny, weel-tocher't lasses i' the pairt jist in aweers o' bein' o' the gimmer hillock.ne.Sc. 1884 D. Grant Lays 83:
Yet though charms o' purse an' person Were the portion o' the twain, On the gimmer hillock nathless Did the elder still remain.

2. In Carpet bowls: a bowl which has failed to reach the hog-score, a Hog, q.v. (Kcb. 1954).

II. v. To rear a lamb to the gimmer or breeding stage.Sc. 1934 A. Fraser Herd of the Hills ii. xii.:
It's likely they'll go away up to Nortown; it's there most of the Cranok ewe-lambs go. They gimmer them up there to make up the crossing stocks.