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.
GLAMSE, n., v. Also glams(h). [Sh., Ork. glɑms; Cai. glɑmʃ]
I. n. 1. A snap, “a quick awkward bite or attempt to bite” (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Sh.10, Ork.5, Cai.7 1954).Ork. 1929 Marw.:
He [dog] made a glamse for me just as I was gaan tae stroke him.
†2. “A hurried, furtive look round, a suspicious glance at something” (Ib.). Hence glamsy, adj., “applied to a man, or horse, etc.; looking round with quick, scared or furtive glances, unsteady in deportment and liable to make sudden, unexpected starts” (Ib.).
II. v. 1. To snap, to make an attempt to bite (Ags. c.1900; Ork. 1929 Marw.); to (attempt to) grab greedily (Ork.5 1954).Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
De dog glamst at me.
2. “To make a snapping, smacking noise with the lips when eating” (Ork. 1929 Marw.), to eat greedily (Cai. 1907 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 73, glamsh; Cai.4 c.1920; Mry. 1954).
[Norw. dial. glamsa, to make hasty, clumsy attempts to grip, Dan. dial. glamse, to bite or snap at, Sw. dial. glamsa, to chew violently. Cf. also Glaum, v.1, n.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Glamse n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 1 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/glamse>
