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Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
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.

HAIL, n.² Sc. usages:

1. In combs. hail puckle, a hailstone (Sh. 1956); haily-buckie, id. (Ork.⁵ 1956); hailsteen, Sc. form of Eng. hailstone.Sh. 1931 Shetland Times (14 March) 7:
Shö kum awa' wi a flyin' horrikan frae da nor-waast, wi hail-puckles da size o' shukkin's' eggs baalin' wis aboot i' wye an' anidder. Abd. 1996 Sheena Blackhall Wittgenstein's Web 8:
Davie's faither wis a larry driver an aince in an awfa nicht o blindrift an hailsteens as big as fitbas he'd stukken jist ooto Knockandhu an taen an ill-will at the place sinsyne ...

2. Small shot, pellets. Also sparrow-hail, see Sparrow.Wgt. 1697 Stat. Acc.² (1845) IV. 226:
A single wound in the leg, by a shot of small hail.Ayr. 1786 Burns Ep. to J. Rankine x.:
By my gun, o' guns the wale, An' by my pouther an' my hail.Edb. 1821 W. Liddle Poems 69:
They canna eithly miss their aim, The wail o' hail they use for game.Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
The whole charge of hail went into his back.Arg. 1901 N. Munro Doom Castle xxv.:
I wad pit an end to your argy-bargying wi' hail frae a gun!

3. A small quantity of any liquid (Cai. 1909 D. B. Nicolson in County of Cai. 74, Cai.¹ c.1920). Cf. drop.Cai.⁷ 1955:
A wis chist takken a wee hale o' tea.