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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SHIRE, adj., n.², v. Also shyre, schire. [′ʃəi(ə)r]

‡I. adj. 1. Clear, pure, unclouded, of liquor (Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. Gl.); bright, clear, in gen. Arch.; of soup, etc.: thin, watery, also deriv. shirie, shyrie, id. (Fif. 1825 Jam., shyrie kail). Obs. in Eng. exc. dial.Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. 218:
He had rather live on Cakes, And shyrest Swats, with Landart Maiks.Sc. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Scots 11:
Atween their starry e'en sae schire And yon dark lowe o' eternity.

†2. Complete, absolute, sheer, utter (Sc. 1710 T. Ruddiman Gl. to Douglas Aeneis s.v. schire, a shire knave).Sc. 1725 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) II. 198:
And was na Willy a great lown, As shyre a lick as e'er was seen?Sc. 1836 M. Mackintosh Cottager's Daughter 59:
He was a shire and worthless smaik.

3. Of measure: scrimp, bare, mere, to the stated amount and nothing more (Rxb. 1825 Jam.).

4. Of cloth: thin in texture, lacking a sufficiency of weft threads (Sc. 1721 Ramsay Poems (S.T.S.) I. Gl.). Cf. II.; as a description of muslin or gauze (Rxb. 1931). Hence shirin, cheese-cloth or the like (Id.).

5. Deriv. shirey, proud, conceited (Sc. 1818 Sawers), an extension of 2. or phs. a different word.

II. n. A gap or thin piece in cloth where the weft threads are too widely spaced or missing altogether (Fif. 1930). Also in Uls. dial.

III. v. 1. (1) To purify a liquid by allowing it to stand till the dregs subside (Uls. 1892 E.D.D.; Arg. 1936 L. McInnes S. Kintyre 15); to pour off the lighter part of a liquid, to separate it from its sediment (Lth., Cld. 1808–25 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Uls. 1953 Traynor), to skim (Uls. 1931 Northern Whig (11 Dec.) 13). Obs. in Eng. exc. n. dial. Vbl.n. shir(e)ins, any liquid that rises to the top of a vessel and is poured off (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B.; Uls. 1930), esp. of Sowans; thin or insipid soup (Rxb. 1931).Kcd. 1810 G. Robertson Agric. Kcd. 431:
The thin water (called shireings) that is uppermost in the vessel, is poured off.

(2) of the liquid: to clarify, to become clear by the settling of sediment (Uls. 1953 Traynor); of the dregs: to settle, subside.Gsw. 1711 Uls. Jnl. Archaeol. IV. 117:
Take half-a-pound of harts horn and boill it into three quarts of fair watter four or five hours untill it will shire in a spoon.Uls. 1960:
Let the grummel shire before you pour off the water.

(3) fig. of the mind: (to allow) to become clear (Uls. 1953 Traynor). Phr. to get one's head shired, to get peace to think (Uls. 1970).Uls. 1892–1904 E.D.D.:
Wait till my brain shires an' I'll tell you. To shire one's mind.Uls. 1908 A. M'Ilroy Burnside xi.:
His head wants to be shired a bit.Arg. 1936 L. McInnes S. Kintyre 15:
Yer no yersel this moarning: ye better wait till yer heed shires.Uls. 1993:
Let me get my head shired. Give me time to get my head shired.

2. To shed (surplus corn) from off a measure, to brush off excess weight in a vessel (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).