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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

INLAIK, n., v. Also inla(c)k, -la(i)ke; -leak. [ɪn′lek, now gen. ′-li:k, †Abd. + ′-jɑ:k]

I. n. 1. A deficiency, shortage, lack, reduction (Sc. 1808 Jam.); specif. the difference in the weight of grain, e.g. before and after it has been processed for distilling (Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl., in-lak; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 280, inleak). Used attrib. in phr. inlake days, days lost off work.Inv. 1715 Steuart Letter Bk. (S.H.S.) 3:
All the Inlake and charges of keeping will hereafter fall on him.Sc. 1729 W. Macintosh Inclosing 117:
Nor do I fear there will be found so great an Inlack in the 4 Shillings Tax, even with them, but that a very moderate Supply will serve.Sc. 1740 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) II. 188:
But when her minny she did perceive Sic great inlack amang the butter.Fif. 1759 Session Papers, Robertson v. Clephen (2 March) 10:
One Day and a Half in every Week must be allowed to each Collier for Inlake Days, that is, they supposed, against Law and Experience, that a Collier may be idle for One-fourth of every six Days.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 214:
Inlakes o' brandy we can soon supply By Whisky tinctur'd wi' the Saffron's dye.Sc. 1811 Faculty Decisions (1810–12) 174:
The shipmaster found entitled to his freight, where the inlake of a quantity of grain was not more than one per cent.Sc. 1819 Scott Bride of Lamm. iii.:
There I would have been “inlake” among the peerage, if the Master had not whipt roundly in.Dmf. 1836 A. Cunningham Lord Roldan II. 173:
Had the musket, whilk it came from, been fifty yards nearer there might have been an inlake o' our crew!Sc. 1923 Sc. Farmer (28 July) 964:
A whole year's inleak of weight has to be reckoned with.Sc. 1950 per Mr J. Buist, Dollar:
Inleak is the difference in weight in the original grain and after it has been prepared for processing, e.g. if we start off with 4 cwt. barley and obtain 3 cwt. of malted barley, the inleak would be 1 cwt. or 25 of the original. In the milling of grain there are always certain losses due to cleaning and dust, and drying, and as our distillery yields are calculated back on the original barley, these losses or inleaks must be allowed for.

Hence inleakage, loss of weight in processing.Sc. 1847–9 Trans. Highl. Soc. 364:
It is one of the popular mistakes in cheese-making, that, by keeping the cheese damp, the inleakage is prevented.

†2. Death (Sc. 1808 Jam.).Abd. 1861 J. Davidson Poems 122:
Great men, and men o' worth, Whose inlake did frae countless een Gaur grief's saut tears gush forth.

II. v. 1. To be deficient, to lack, to suffer loss in weight, measure, number or volume (Sc. 1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gl.); “often used to denote the deficiency of liquor in a cask” (Sc. 1825 Jam., inlaike).Ork. 1727 in H. Marwick Merchant Lairds (1936) I. 124:
All the rests most be placed on cropt 1725 and preceedings. I mean what they inlacked of their payments these yeirs.Per. 1727 Factor's Acct. in Atholl MSS.:
The Meall carried to Dunkeld did inlake half a boll wanting a lippie.Edb. 1773 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 190:
The gowd that inlakes half a crown Thir blades lug out to try them.Fif. 1824 J. Bissett Poems 181:
My money happening to inlake.

2. To be without, suffer want or privation.s.Sc. 1857 H. S. Riddell Psalms xxxiv. 10:
The young lions inlack, an' thole hungir.

3. To die (Sc. 1808 Jam., inlak), to die out, to come to an end. Vbl.n. inlakeing, death.Clc. 1699 S.H.S. Misc. I. 492:
Who have been diligent Labourers, and fallen back either by ill cropts or inlakeing of ther bestiall.Sc. 1745 Scots Mag. (June) 275:
Ah! Jamie, Jamie, soon I'll now inlack; The morn, may be, I'll that dark journay take.Sc. 1751 W. MacFarlane Geneal. Coll. (S.H.S.) II. 212:
The whole Name of Forbes was Inlaked.Abd. 1867 W. Anderson Rhymes 68:
Without sayin' mair, he inlaket that nicht.