Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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GLEED, n., v. Also gleid, glede, †gleede, †glead, †glied.

I. n. Formerly in use in Eng., but now only arch. or dial. Cf. Glude.

1. A live coal or peat, an ember (‡Ayr.⁴ 1928; Sh., Ork., Cai., Slk., Rxb., Uls. 1954); “a flare of light” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., rare), a glow (Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 166). Now gen. in pl. Also fig.Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 113:
Her head was sair towsled, I wat, Her cheeks war red as the gleid.Sc. 1808 Jam.:
There's nae gleid, the fire is quite gone out.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 36:
Mony a cutty is made lunt owre the glead o' a bachrun.Abd. 1845 W. Thom Rhymes 170:
Yon gleed o'er fast and fiercely glows, For licht o' livin' star.Rxb. a.1860 J. Younger Autobiog. (1881) 346:
The very poetry of thought was smothered up in a cold obstruction . . . like a live gleed in ashes.Sh. 1892 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 256:
I couldna see onything bit just da red gleed o' da brands whaur da fire wis.Ork. 1922 J. Firth Reminisc. 9:
If by any mischance the raking peats burned out and a “gleed”, or a half-burnt peat, had to be borrowed from a neighbour, it was considered unlucky if the borrower caught her neighbour in the act of churning, for no butter would be got.Lth. 1928 S. A. Robertson With Double Tongue 182:
When jist forenent the clump o' whins oot flashed an awesome gleid.Sc.(E) 1935 W. Soutar Poems 26:
. . . owreheid The heichest stern, like to a gleed Blawn up, hings waukrifelie and waif.

2. A spark, a glimmer, gen. of fire (Dmf. 1825 Jam.; Kcb.⁴ 1900; Cai.⁹ 1939; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Bwk., Slk. 1954); “a sparkle or splinter [struck] from a bar of heated iron” (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.). Also fig. e.g. in phr. gleed o' sense (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl., 1920 H. S. Morrison Mod. Ulster 37).Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxvi.:
Not a gleed of fire, then, except the bit kindling peat, and maybe a spunk in Mysie's cutty-pipe.Bwk. 1823 A. Hewit Poems 127:
For i' my throat the drouthie gleid Tak's sic a drounin'.s.Sc. 1847 H. S. Riddell Poems 4:
Come in o'er near the fire, 'Tis but a wee bit gleid at best . . . And yet 'twill mak' ye dryer.Uls. 1898 J. Barlow Irish Idylls v.:
A will-o'-the-wisp luring him over the bog with its goblin glede.em.Sc. 1913 J. Black Gloamin' Glints 71:
Yet some gleids o' hope are blinkin' That we fan intae a flame.Tyr. 1931 North. Whig (17 Dec.) 10:
She lit the lamp on the brace, for there was only a gleed of light.

3. A glowing fire, one that burns red but without flames (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis, 1808 Jam., 1879 P. H. Waddell Isaiah xxxiii. 14, glied; Uls.² 1929; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Slk. 1954). Also fig.Abd. 1748 R. Forbes Ajax 4:
Bat I, like birky, stood the brunt, An' slocken'd out that gleed.Ayr. ?1788 Burns Lady Onlie ii.:
And cheery blinks the ingle-gleede O' Lady Onlie, honest lucky!Dmf. 1803 W. Wilson Poems I. 13:
And down they sat foregainst the gleed, Syne Jean did a' their fortunes read.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales, etc. (1837) II. 289:
That heavenly gleid, that living glow, Of endless happiness the token!Bwk. 1862 J. G. Smith Poems 79:
And then she wad sing and nod her wee pow To the shimmerin' gleid or the flichterin' lowe.w.Dmf. 1899 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace) 368:
Hame's aye hamely; what a seat . . . Is the arm-chair near the glede.

4. Transf. A drop (of water). Cf. Spark, n., 1. Wgt. 1956:
There's no a gleed frae it - of a tap which had run dry.

II. v. 1. “To burn with a strong bright flame” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 65), to burn slowly without flame, to smoulder (Dennison Gl.).Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 117:
His gleedan' claes noo swee'd his hide.

¶2. tr. To light up, illuminate.Sc. 1823 A. Laing Thistle of Scot. 13:
Frae the blak visart o' the lift, The flyre flaucht gleeds the skie.