Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1821, 1880-1891
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SCOUP, n., v. Also skoup. Sc. variant spellings and usages of Eng. scoop (Ags. 1875 J. C. Guthrie Strathmore 110). For Sc. forms see Scuip. [skʌup, skup]
I. n. 1. A spout or projecting lip of a vessel.Sc. 1821 Blackwood's Mag. (June) 323:
Some brew their drinks in jugs, with forward scoup.
2. A draught of liquor (Jam.); a spoonful, mouthful.Cld. 1880 Jam.:
A skoup o' parritch.
II. v. 1. With aff, up: to quaff, drink off a draught of liquor, to toss off (n.Sc. 1825 Jam.); to sup (Cld. 1880 Jam.).Ags. 1891 Brechin Advert. (31 March) 3:
He scoupit up a gill.
2. To bale (a boat) (Bnff. 1904 E.D.D.).
3. Of chickens in the act of hatching: to break through the egg-shell (Cai. 1921 T.S.D.C., Cai. 1948).
[O.Sc. skowp, a baling vessel, 1512. The phonology is somewhat uncertain but suggests derivation from Mid.Du. schoppe, one of the origins of Eng. scoop. Cf. Dowp, Howp, Scowp, etc., and note to Scuip.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Scoup n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/scoup>
