Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1807-1825, 1884, 1961
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0]
SCORE, n.2 [skor]
1. A crack, crevice, fissure (Sh., Cai. 1969). Obs. in Eng. Comb. score-hole, a narrow space between the walls of two adjoining houses which do not have a common gable (Sc. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 277).Edb. 1825 R. Chambers Traditions II. 19:
She made a point of showing him into a dark closet at the back of her house, in which there was an aperture opening upon a scorehole behind, and scarcely giving any light.
2. A crevice, cleft or gully in a cliff face (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Sh., Cai. 1969). Now chiefly in place-names, esp. in pl. as in St. Andrews (Sc. 1807 J. Hall Travels I. 156).Fif. 1807 J. Grierson St. Andrews (1838) 76:
That space of ground which is now converted into a public walk, and known by the name of the Scores.Fif. 1884 G. Bruce Reminisc. 126:
Along the “Scores” — as the road near the cliffs, or “Scaurs”, facing the sea, from the Witch Lake to the old Castle, is now called.Edb. 1961 Scottish Studies V. 14:
The Score is the downfall of the west edge of Edinburgh Castle.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Score n.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 16 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/score_n2>
