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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: 1891-1927

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SLUNK, n.3, v.2 Also slownk. [slʌŋk, Cai. slʌuŋk]

I. n. A contemptuous term for a lazy sneaking person, a dodger, shirker (Cai. 1904 E.D.D., Cai. 1970, slownk). In the quot. below used more strongly = a mean sneak, a blackguard, and phs. a different word.Ayr. 1927 J. Carruthers A Man Beset i. viii.:
The most contemptible slunk on the face of the earth.

II. v. To go unobtrusively and furtively, to creep, slink, sneak off (Sh., Cai. 1970).Sh. 1891 J. Burgess Rasmie's Büddie 96:
Sae on we'd geng till i da mirk, Dan haemwird wid we slunk.

[Norw. dial. slunk, a sluggard, slunka, to go about in a sluggish manner, O. Swed. slunka, to slink, sneak. In the 1927 quot. however the word is prob. a nonce conflation of Slink, n.1, and skunk.]

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"Slunk n.3, v.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/slunk_n3_v2>

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