Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SNEESH, n., v. Also snish, ¶sneish. [sniʃ]

I. n. Snuff, a pinch of snuff (Bwk. 1942 Wettstein; Uls. 1953 Traynor Gl.; n. and em.Sc.(a), Dmb., Dmf. 1971). Also in Eng. dial. Comb. snish tamback, sneesh-te-bacht (Rnf. a.1810 R. Tannahill Poems (1900) 241), tobacco from which snuff is made.Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) I. 257:
I gang to buy a snish tamback.Abd. 1787 A. Shirrefs Jamie & Bess i. i. Prol.:
Now, o' the snish he's for a dose.Sc. 1818 S. Ferrier Marriage I. xxx.:
May she ne'er want a good sneesh!Clc. 1852 G. P. Boyd Misc. Poems 32:
Hae, there's a sneesh ere ye begin.Rxb. 1871 R. Allan Poems 123:
I crackit like a gun, and tuik my sneish.e.Lth. 1905 J. Lumsden Croonings 239:
Inspired wi' toddy and sneesh this day.

II. v. ‡1. To take snuff, to sniff it up the nostrils (Abd., Kcd., Slg., Dmb. 1971). Deriv. sneesher, one who takes snuff.Abd. 1801 W. Beattie Parings (1873) 23:
While some were sneeshin, some were smokin'.s.Sc. 1809 T. Donaldson Poems 113, 114:
Some will hae't to sneesh like stoure . . . A sneesher wi' an empty mull.Abd. 1920 G. P. Dunbar Peat Reek 29:
He bocht his snuff in hunnerwechts An' sneesh't it up in pun's.

2. tr. To grind; also in gen., to crumble, to crush.Per. a.1843 J. Stewart Sketches 52:
Are you be sneeshan in a mull, To gie a sneesh to poor folk?Bnff. 1929 Banffshire Jnl. (17 Sept.) 2:
The bunchie dreepit as she steppit up the brae, syne she sneesh't it doon as sma' as mice feet wi' her fingers.

3. To sneeze (Rxb. 1942 Zai; em.Sc.(b), wm.Sc., Rxb. 1971).