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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

GLAMMACH, -OCH, v., n. Also glamach, -och, -ack, glaumach, glommach, and gllammich (Gregor). [′glɑ(:)məx]

I. v. 1. To grasp eagerly, to clutch, snatch (at something) (Ags. 1890; Mry.¹, Bnff.⁷ 1927; Abd.²⁷ 1954). Phr. to let glamach, to grab.Abd. 1909 C. Murray Hamewith 86:
. . . syne flang him on the yird, An' glammoched at our knees.Abd. 1911 Kenilworth Mag. (Oct.) 86:
Ane wi' the glammochin shears and tither wi' the ironin' brod.Abd.⁸ 1917:
He let glamach at me as I ran past, bit he didna get a haud.ne.Sc. 1996 Ronald W. McDonald in Sandy Stronach New Wirds: An Anthology of winning poems and stories from the Doric Writing Competitions of 1994 and 1995 68:
She wis a'ready tirnin fan she heved e halie watter richt intae his ill-faured face. Fiona glammacht at her bairn an ran.

2. To grope blindly (Abd.²⁷ 1954).Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 152:
They scarce had time, 'mang sand and stanes, To glaum and glammach for the banes.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 65:
He pat's airm in aneth the bank o' the burn, an' glammacht aboot till he got a bonnie trout.Ags. 1892 Arbroath Guide (13 Feb.) 3:
As I was glamochin' aboot for my breeks in the dark, Marg'et's cat began to spit an' blaw.Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Back o' Benachie 18:
It was not customary to light the lamp in the farm-house after the harrows had gone out. They jist glaumached awa' wi' th' fire an' a spunk o' fir.ne.Sc. 1930 Wkly. Scotsman (19 April) 2:
The young folks “glommacht” for the ring [at the Meal-an-ale], but the seasoned hands dipped their spoons less deep, for they well knew where the whisky was.Bnff. 1953 Banffshire Jnl. (8 Sept.):
So we gaed awa in tae tha geylies dim an' disty intimmers o' the aul' mull . . . an' . . . I glammoched aboot.

3. To eat greedily (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 66, gllammich). Often followed by up.

II. n. 1. A snatch, a clutch, an eager grasp (Mry.¹, Bnff.⁵ 1926; Abd.²⁷ 1954), gen. denoting an ineffectual effort (Ags. 1808 Jam.).Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 23:
The case is clear, my pouch is plackless; . . . That saves me frae the sessin's glamack.Abd. 1879 J. Taylor 11 Years at Farm Work 72:
Just then one of the men under the stone put out a hand and made a “glamach” at their legs.Bnff.⁶ c.1920:
The scamp made a glammach at a bundle o' notes, an' ran oot o' the bank afore ye cud say Jake Robison.Bch. 1929 per Abd.¹:
Gie's a glamach o' yer han'.Abd. 1993:
I made a glammach at e baa, bit I miss't it.

2. A groping (Abd.⁴ 1929). Also fig.Abd. 1929 J. Alexander Mains & Hilly 123:
It's only a glammach i' the dark efter a' fin ye come to mairryin'.

†3. (1) A mouthful (Ags. 1808 Jam.); (2) a handful.(2) Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 66:
Gee the beggar man a gllammich o' mehl.