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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HAIZER, v., n. Also ha(i)zre, haiser, haisre (Sc. 1887 Jam.); ha(i)zard, hazerd (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.), heasert (Derry 1931 North. Whig (28 Nov.)), developed from pa.p. forms; and alternative freq. form haizle (Ayr. 1887 Jam.). The forms a(s)sol, aisle (Jam.⁶) are due to erroneous notions of the etymology of the word.

I. v. 1. Of newly-washed clothes, etc.: to dry (esp. partially or on the surface), to air in the open, bleach (Ags., m.Lth., Bwk., Lnk. 1956). Gen. found as ppl.adj. ha(i)zert (Ayr. 1825 Jam.; Peb. 1933; wm.Sc. 1956), hezard, hizard (Rnf. c.1880 Country Schoolmaster (Wallace 1899) 325).Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
Them clothes are not dry at all; they're only hazerded.Rnf. 1894 Trans. Dmf. & Gall. Antiq. Soc. 153:
This is a fine day for haizarding the clothes.Kcb.¹ c.1900:
When the washing had been hung out, in a favourable breeze, but the wind was followed by rain before the clothes were dried, and they had to be taken in to be finished in-doors, she would say “They have been pretty well hazered.”wm.Sc. 1902 E.D.D.:
Our clothes are out “haiserin.” Fresh air and sunlight are required to haiser recently-washed clothes.Clc. 1922 G. Blair Haunted Dominie 38:
When you're oxter-deep in bracken, And your hazert claes are cauld.Ayr. 1947 per wm.Sc.¹:
One woman said when asked how she had got on with her washing on a day of not too propitious weather: “Oh fine, fine, I got them a' in haizert.”

2. Of the weather, to dry up after rain.Uls. c.1920 J. Logan Uls. in X-rays xi.:
See if it's onything “hazarded” so that these weans 'll get awa' hame tae their beds.

3. Ppl.adj. haizert, of the hair: grizzled, streaked with grey (Peb., Rxb. a.1838 Jam. MSS. XI. 74). For the sense development cf. Hair, v.

II. n. An airing or drying in the sun, the act or state of drying clothes lightly.Ayr. 1887 Jam.:
The claes 'll be gettin' a fine aisle the day. Run noo, an' set the claes to the asol.