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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.

HUMLOCK, n. Also †-loch, -lick, hummlock, †hamlock, -lick; humlet, -lo, -ly (Watson), -lie. [′hʌmlək, -lət, -lo, -le]

1. The common hemlock, Conium maculatum, or any of the umbelliferous plants such as the cow parsnip, Heracleum spondylium (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. Add. 226, hummlock; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; w.Fif.¹ 1930, humlick; Ags., Bwk., Rxb. 1957). Hence hairy humlo, id. (s.Sc. 1901 N.E.D.); smooth humlo, wood angelica, Angelica sylvestris (Rxb. 1866 Trans. Hawick Antiq. Soc. 31, 1923 Watson W.-B.). Freq. attrib.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 141:
Amang the hamlocks wild, and sun-burnt fearns.Rxb. 1808 A. Scott Poems 22:
Some bunch o' waving humlocks green, Mock laurels, in her hands were seen.Fif. 1814 Sc. Song (Whitelaw 1843) 192:
Should we gang by the Auld-Kirk-Latch, Or round the haunted humlock knowe.Mry. 1873 J. Brown Round Table Club 363:
The witch o' Fife . . . can . . . mak' a horse o' breem-cow or humlock-shaw.Ags. 1880 J. E. Watt Poet. Sk. 58:
O' auld keys he makes pistols to shoot at the craws, An' skyters o' boortree, an' stout humlock shaws.

2. A dried stalk of hemlock used as a pea-shooter (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., humlet, Rxb. 1936; Fif., Slk. 1957, humlie).Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. xxiv.:
“You lost, then, your place as trumpeter.” . . . “Lost it — to be sure I lost it, — . . . for I couldna have plaid pew upon a dry humlock.”Rxb. 1866 Trans. Hawick Arch. Soc. 31:
The stem [of hemlock] is generally hollow and fistular, and some of them are used as blow-tubes for shooting arrows, as school-boys use “humols” [sic] in our own country.