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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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SNORE, v., n. Also snor(r), snurr (Jak.). Sc. forms and usages:

I. v. 1. Of animals: to snort (Kcb. 1971). Now only dial. in Eng.Ayr. 1786 Burns To his Auld Mare viii.:
How thou wad prance, an' snore, an' Scriegh.Per. 1898 C. Spence Poems 57:
He [a bull] roared and bored and sniffed and snored.

2. To make a rushing, whirring, droning sound, esp. of wind, fire, etc. (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Ayr. 1923 Wilson D. Burns 186; Sh., Cai., Abd., Kcb. 1971). Also in n.Eng. dial and fig.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize I. xiv.:
My ain bellows snoring at a gaud o' iron in the fire.Sh. 1877 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 104:
Efter we hed aboot a packie an' a half in, da tow began ta snore heavy upo' da cabe.Uls. 1884 Cruck-a-Leaghan and Slieve Gallion Lays and Leg. 38:
Without, the storm might sough and snore.Kcb. 1893 Crockett Raiders vii.:
It's the lassie I'm vexed for; the rest might snore up in reek for me.Sh. 1895 Williamson MSS. (4 March):
He's begun ta snore up i da door.Lth. 1915 J. Fergus Sodger (1925) 25:
The fire roars, snores, pours up the lum.

Comb. and derivs.: ¶(1) snoreipadakol [snore upo(n) the coal], a strip of meat roasted over a fire; (2) snorer, a child's toy (see quot.) (Ayr. 1971); (3) snoriben, snorie-bane, snory-, snorro-; snerro-bon, id., made of one of the leg-bones of a pig or of wood (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., 1914 Angus Gl.; Sh. (snorie-), Ork. (snorro-) 1971); (4) snorick, -ek, -ag, id. (Edm.; Cai. 1904 E.D.D.; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Cai. 1971, snorag). Cf. sneerig s.v. Sneer. Fig. in quot. in phr. to mak a snorag o' oneself, to demean oneself.(1) Sh. 1948 New Shetlander No. 8 (Jan–Feb.) 3:
Whin snoreipadakol an' tattie My lips smacked ower, baith lean an fatty.(2) Uls.² 1932:
I made snorers both of thin board and of tinplate. These consisted of, say a piece of thin board about 3 inches square with two holes about 3/4 inches apart for the cord, which held with both hands and twisted and untwisted produced a snoring or buzzing sound.(3) Sh. 1967 New Shetlander No. 81. 13:
A snorie-bane or windy-craa We mony a time wid play wis wi.(4) Cai. 1922 J. Horne Poems 103:
Mercy me, dinna mak a snorag o' yersel', Maister David! Mind, ye're a precentor in 'e kirk.

3. To move at speed with a rushing roaring sound (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 125; Sh., Ork., Per., Kcb. 1971), freq. of a ship. In 1908 quot. appar. to draw up to, to approach.Dmf. 1822 A. Cunningham Tales II. 169:
We shall come snoring back in our barge.Sc. 1826 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) I. 137:
Wha kens that the fox isna away snorin happy afore the houn's?Sc. 1834 M. Scott Tom Cringle x.:
She began to snore through it like smoke.Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. vi. 222:
I aye toucht he wad a' been snorrin ap for terty onywey.em.Sc. 1926 H. Hendry Poems 111:
When granite-stanes slip snoring Alang the soopit ice.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 90:
He tore aboot on a motor-bike. Every Setterday efternoon he wis snoran awa tae Kirkwall.Sh. 1963 New Shetlander No. 67. 7:
A hoosefoo of fokk, singin an playin, yallin an scriechin, an snorin back an fore ita kerrs.

4. Only in ppl.adj. snoring, large, of generous size. Cf. Eng. a snorter, anything exceptional for its size.Ayr. c.1892 R. Lawson Ball. Carrick 8:
Not only tay, but eggs and ham, And, to keep them down, a snoring dram.

II. n. 1. A snort, a roar, a loud roaring or droning noise (Sh., Cai. 1971).Abd. 1832 W. Scott Poems 1:
The growlin' win' maks monnie a piteous snore.Gall. 1832 J. Denniston Craignilder 60:
Now dark December's wintry snore, Rang through the leafless wood.Sh. 1892 G. Stewart Fireside Tales 251:
Sontin gies a snore up ower da riggin o' da hoose.s.Sc. 1935 Border Mag. (March) 35:
Like a horse when he gi'es a snore.

2. In pl.: a disease causing snuffling which affects animals, the snivels. Also in Eng. dial.Kcd. 1844 W. Jamie Muse of Mearns 157:
May he ne'er be subject unto snors.