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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.

SMEEK, n., v. Also smeeck, smeak, smeik, smick; erron. smeeth (Ags. 1825 J. Bowick Characters 60). See also Smook. [smik]

I. n. 1. The fumes from anything burning, smoke, Reek (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 428; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., 1942 Zai). Gen. (exc. I. and ne.)Sc. Also fig. Derivs. smeeky, adj., smelling or redolent of smoke, smoky (n. and s.Sc. 1825 Jam.; Watson), also as n., a denim jacket or smock, prob. from its grey, smoky colour (Dmb. 1964); smeekiness, n., smokiness.Sc. c.1746 Jacob. Minstrelsy (1829) 289:
He'll rake it out o' brunstane smeek.Sc. 1775 Caled. Mercury (13 Dec.):
The tinning of all copper vessels, from usage, contract a sullied or smeaky appearance.Ayr. 1785 Burns Vision iii.:
I sat and ey'd the spewing reek, That fill'd, wi' hoast-provoking smeek, The auld, clay biggin.Abd. 1828 P. Buchan Ballads II. 74:
Thro' this reek, and thro' this smeek.Per. 1842 R. Nicoll Poems 29:
The smeeky hames o' our toun.Knr. 1878 J. L. Robertson Poems 60:
Wi' puff an' snort an' startlin' shriek, Envelop'd in a cludd o' smeek.Ags. 1910 J. Lee Poems 80:
They flee, to 'scape the smeek an' soot.Dmf. 1915 J. L. Waugh Betty Grier 73:
Cooking a guddled yellow trout over a ‘smeeky' green-wood fire.m.Sc. 1950 O. Douglas Farewell to Priorsford 141:
We endure much noise and smeekiness in the march of progress.m.Sc. 1982 Olive Fraser in Hamish Brown Poems of the Scottish Hills 93:
Yon's the cauld lums o' Ben A'an,
Wha's smeek is snaw. w.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 16:
Guid neebor Will, - his case at last
has Brickwork boss's blootert
an proves that reek,
thir fug an smeek,
can pizen aa wir rhubert.

2. By extension: an unpleasant smell in general, a bad odour, a stuffy, fetid atmosphere (Sc. 1912 N.E.D.; Fif., Lnl., Wgt, Dmf. 1970). Hence smeeky, adj., smelly, malodorous.ne.Sc. 1716 Jacob. Relics (Hogg 1819) 119:
Oliver and Willie Buck Sit o'er the lugs in smeekie muck.Per. 1878 R. Ford Hame-spun Lays 94:
The smeeky, reeky gill-stowp.Cld. 1880 Jam.:
I canna bide the smeek o't.Ayr. 1887 J. Service Dr Duguid 109:
Raising such a smeek and stink of brumstane.

3. A contrivance for smoking bees, a bee-smoker (Bwk., wm., sm. and s.Sc. 1970). Cf. II. 2.(2) (ii).Lnk. 1923 G. Rae Langsyne vii.:
The smoking bunch of brown paper, which he called a smeek.

4. A whiff, a stifling puff of fumes; the act of smelling, a sniff (Cai., Wgt. 1970).wm.Sc. 1935 J. Corrie Income 7:
Afore I kent where I was I got a smeek o' chloroform.

¶5. A smoking-party or -concert.Fif. 1901 G. Setoun Skipper of Barncraig xx.:
You went to smeeks and dances because of the company.

II. v. 1. intr. To emit smoke or fumes, to reek, to smoke (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 428; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Gen. (exc. I. and ne.) Sc. Also used fig., to reek. For the allusion in 1909 quot. see Reek, v., 1. (b).Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 49:
Our sail rife birlins bring our bane, Smeekin' wi' peculation's gain.Abd. 1851 W. Anderson Rhymes 74:
Three auld lums That on an ancient biggin' smeekit.Fif. 1909 R. Holman Char. Studies 49:
“Has yer lum been smeekin' lately, Tam?” “No, man, the wife and I hae been 'greeing a-richt.”

2. tr. (1) To affect or suffocate with smoke or soot, to render smoky (m. and s.Sc. 1970). Also fig. Ppl.adj. smeekit, smoke-stained, tainted by the fumes from a fire; of living creatures: stifled or blinded by smoke (Bnff., Ayr. 1920).Edb. 1772 Fergusson Poems (S.T.S.) II. 73:
Thof this town be smeekit sair.Peb. 1815 in A. Pennecuik Tweeddale 90:
Smeeking our heads o'er the fire a' winter.Sc. 1830 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 355:
Ae single sneer frae you, sir, smeeks and smithers them in their ain reek.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Gaberlunzie 12:
Out cam the big blacksmith, a' smeekit and duddy.Gall. 1898 A. J. Armstrong Levellers 11:
Inside the cottage, all seemed gowry and smeekit.em.Sc. 1913 J. Black Gloamin' Glints 142:
The grun's broken wi' pits and railways, smeekit wi' reek.Edb. 1928 A. D. Mackie In Two Tongues 17:
The snell winnd blawin' coom and reek . . . and smeekin' a' the hicht.em.Sc. 1999 James Robertson The Day O Judgement 13:
Aw the heivens will be smeikit
Bible-black an blin wi reik;
An spittin throu the mirk and clood
Twinin raips o fire will streak.

(2) Specif. (i) to expose (fish, meat, etc.) to smoke in order to cure or preserve, to smoke (various types of produce) (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein).Edb. 1828 D. M. Moir Mansie Wauch vi.:
Of smeaked hams and salt tongues.Ayr. 1852 M. Lochhead Poems 135:
An auld smeekit haddy.Per. 1879 P. R. Drummond Bygone Days 426:
I smeek my victims with green whins and broom.

(ii) to treat with smoke in order to sterilise, to fumigate (w.Sc. 1880 Jam., to smeek yarn, — the room; m. and s.Sc. 1970).Sc. 1874 W. Allan Hame-Spun Lilts 244:
A hotch, gey sair in want o' smeekin'.

(iii) freq. with out: to drive out (bees, wasps, etc.) by means of smoke fumes, to smoke out (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; m. and s.Sc. 1970); also of persons, as a prank. Hence smeeker, n., a contrivance which emits clouds of dense smoke, used to smoke out bees, etc., or in practical jokes (Lnk. 1880; Ayr. 1900; Per., Fif., Kcb. 1970). See also I. 3.Sc. 1816 Scott B. Dwarf xviii.:
Elshie's skeps o' bees . . . shall ne'er be smeekit by ony o' huz.Bwk. 1821 W. Sutherland Poems 38:
Smicket bee-hives far and near.Clc. 1882 J. Walker Jaunt to Auld Reekie 219:
Smeek in his hole, the snoozing badger.Ags. 1892 D. Tasker Pastime Musings 163:
Wi' a hollow'd kail runt, stuffed wi' tow, then they smeekit, Through keyhole and cranny, auld Mattie McCraw.Bwk. 1892 J. H. Browne Lammermuir 25:
The boys, however, managed to light their “smeekers” and depart.Kcb. 1911 Crockett Rose of Wilderness xii.:
A' steamin' like a smeekit bee-skep.Rxb. 1917 Kelso Chronicle (27 July) 2:
Securing a quantity of paraffin oil, he “smeeked” the nest in a twinkling.Bte. 1922 J. Sillars McBrides xxviii.:
Lighting green branches in the fire in her sleeping place — to smeek her out.Sc. 1964 Weekly Scotsman (2 April) 11:
The birds sometimes open their wings and ruffle their feathers smoking themselves like kippers [on a chimney-pot]. They are “smeeking out the fleas”, a man once said to me.Ayr. 2000:
We blocked the auld man's lum an smeeked him oot for a joke.

3. To get drunk, gen. in ppl.adj. smeekit, of persons: drunk, tipsy, “stinking” (wm.Sc. 1869 St. Andrews Gaz. (27 Nov.); wm. and sm.Sc. 1970). Vbl.n. smeekin, a carousal, a “booze-up.”m.Lth. 1857 Misty Morning 252:
He's got half-smeekit, and his wife says he'll be as guid's naebody a' day.Lnk. 1877 W. McHutchison Poems 210:
I min' yae nicht, when baith were smeekit.Gsw. 1889 J. Houston Autobiography 97:
Landed at the Black Bull, met wi' Tam M'Meekin, Ca'd a half a mutchkin in, and then began the smeekin'.Kcb. 1890 A. J. Armstrong Musings 216:
His brain was a-tirlin' aboot upside doon, For to tell you the truth he was smeekit.Arg.¹ 1935:
There he goes again, weel-smeekit as usual.Per. 1990 Betsy Whyte Red Rowans and Wild Honey (1991) 144:
' ... They were aa well smeeked wi' drink. "Wha the hell are you lot?" he roared. "You dinnae work for me. So get tae blazes aff my property, and dinnae let me see ye back here again. Dirty tink bastards." ... ' Ayr. 2000:
Hauf smeekit.