Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

OWERHIP, adv. Also owre-. Of a smith: striking in a particular way by raising the hammer from the hip and bringing it over the shoulder; fig. with a heavy blow, in a hard forcible manner. Comb. owre-hip heat, the degree of heat at which metal may be hammered in this way. Used fig. in quot.Ayr. 1787 Burns Scotch Drink xi.:
The brawnie, bairnie, ploughman chiel, Bring hard owrehip, wi' sturdy wheel, The strong forehammer.Dmf. 1826 A. Cunningham Paul Jones I. ix.:
He rings away on spirituals as loud as my study at an owre-hip heat.Gall. 1828 W. McDowall Poems 83:
Ill designing R—s hae wrang'd me, My C—s owre-hip hae whang'd me.Ayr. 1879 R. Adamson Lays 118:
Rob was in the smiddy, owerhip at his wark.