Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1847
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BUTTON-WORM, n.comb. See quot.s.Sc. 1847 T. Stoddart Angler's Comp. 111:
The third species of earth-worm I bring under the angler's notice, is the Black-head or Button-worm. This latter is no doubt a local term, confined chiefly to the south of Scotland, but descriptive in some measure, of the habits and appearance of the animal, whose nature it is, during the summer months, to coil and knot itself up in the form of a ball or old-fashioned button.
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"Button-worm n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snd00088231>
