Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1708, 1801-1928, 1991
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RASH, v., n.2 Also rashe; rasch; also in n. freq. form ¶rashel.
I. v. 1. To rush with violent impetus, or great haste (s.Sc. 1808 Jam.).s.Sc. 1801 J. Leyden Complaynt 365:
“To rashe through a darg”, to perform a day's work hastily.Gall. a.1813 A. Murray Hist. Eur. Langs. (1823) I. 276:
The needle rash'd into her hand.Fif. 1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 143:
And at it, swap! baith horse and man, Windflaucht thegither rasch'd and ran.
2. Of rain: to pour, come down in torrents, lash (Cai.4 c.1920; Ork., Cai. 1967).Also ppl.adj.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 404:
“Hear to the rain rashing”, hear to it dashing.Lnk. 1825 Jam.:
O happy is the corpse on quhilk the rain does raschin faw.Abd. c.1890 Gregor MSS.:
Rainie, rainie, rash on, Rash on, dash on.Cai. 1904 E.D.D.:
Hid's rashan at 'e rain.Cai. 1991 John Manson in Tom Hubbard The New Makars 76:
I sall dee in Paris in rashan rain
I mind the day.
I sall dee in Paris - and I'm no rinnan -
Mebbe on a Fuirsday, in the back end.
3. To pour out or utter in a hurried indiscriminating manner.Sc. 1708 M. Bruce Lectures 15:
It is good that I hide my self, and not rash out all my Mind (like a Fool) and Testimony at once.
4. To produce a sensation of stabbing or searing pain, pulsate, throb, to twinge (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1914 Angus Gl.).Gsw. 1863 J. Young Ingle Nook 16:
Silly, doonricht baulderdash, That gars richt painfu' wallops rash Frae but to ben o' my auld pate.w.Sc. 1880 Jam.:
A rasching o' pain.Kcb. 1900:
The toothache went rashin' up through my heid.
II. n. 1. A clashing noise, a clatter (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis, rasch).
2. A sudden downpour of rain or hailstones, a lashing rainstorm (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 404; Lth., Cld. 1825 Jam.).Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie In Two Tongues 38:
And the sky wi' a' its starlicht In glory wid us droon, Gif like a rashel o' hailstanes It cam camsteerie doon.
3. A sudden stabbing pain, a twinge (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., ‡Sh. 1967).Sh. 1900 Shetland News (14 July):
A-ah! fir dat rashes whin I mov' me neck.
4. A crowd, a large number, a swarm (Lnk. 1825 Jam.).Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales I. 312:
I was working at the loom, wi' my leather apron on, an' a rash o' loom needles in my cuff.
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"Rash v., n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/rash_v_n2>
