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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STIVE, v.¹ n. Also steeve, steave, steive, and erron. strive. [stɑev, sti:v]

I. v. 1. To stuff, cram, esp. to gorge with food (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Uls. 1929; Per. 1971). Hence stiver, an ample meal, a good tuck-in, a gorge (Per. 1971, a stiver o a denner). Comb. belly-steavin, food, provender. Deriv. stiveron ( < freq. form stiver + -in(g), vol.n. suff.), id., “any very fat food, such as that of a haggis” (MacTaggart).Lnk. a.1779 D. Graham Writings (1883) II. 36:
A whine fools that stives up you gutses wi' guid meat.Dmf. 1823 J. Kennedy Poems 100:
Thinks I, I'm destined now for meat, Or belly steavin'.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 27:
Milk porritch, sowings, and sic like glorious belly-timmer — noble stiveron.Rxb. 1847 J. Halliday Rustic Bard 104:
Routh o' bannocks aye and kail, To steeve ye'r guts.em.Sc. 1913 J. Black Gloamin' Glints 159:
Here, tak' this gude cup o' tea — steevin' keeps oot stormin'.

2. Specif.: see quot.Lnl. 1767 Session Papers, Provost of Linlithgow v. Elphinston State of Process 46:
When in time of drought or frost, the sluices happen to cast or cling, they are in use, for the purpose of preventingthe water's passing through, to take earth or mill-seeds, and do throw them in between the water and the sluice, and ram them down with a stick, spade, or shovel; and this operation they commonly call striving [sic].

II. n. In dim. forms stivey, steevie, a good solid meal (Fif. 1825 Jam., a stivey of parritch).