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.
Quotation dates: 1714-1829, 1893-1931
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VIVERS, n.pl. Also vivars, -res, vievers, veevres; ¶waivers (Rs. 1741 W. MacGill Old Rossshire (1909) 154). [′vivərz]
1. Food, provisions, victuals (Sc. 1799 W. Mitchell Scotticisms 89, 1808 Jam.; Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., vievers). Orig. Sc., but adopted in St.Eng. after Scott.Slg. 1714 Burgh Rec. Slg. (1889) 137:
Neither fish, butter, cheese, fowls, nor no other vivers.Sc. 1756 M. Calderwood Journey (M.C.) 149:
Every thing of vivers is dear here in Holland but vegetables.Fif. 1795 Stat. Acc.1 VIII. 468:
There is a constant weekly demand for all kinds of country vivres in Dundee.Sc. 1817 Scott Rob Roy vi.:
It's no for want of gude vivers — the best of fish, flesh, and fowl hae we.Rnf. 1829 New Scotch Haggis 178:
I kenna how mony kinds o' veevres there were.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xv.:
The rock was proveesioned frae the shore with vivers.Sc. 1931 J. Lorimer Red Sergeant viii.:
A' thae gentry hae had my saft beds and my guid vivers.
2. 'Sweetmeats; any sort of condiment taken as a reviver' (Sh. 1914 Angus Gl., vievers).
[O.Sc. veveres, = 1., 1536, ad. O.Fr. vivres, pl. of vivre, n., food, sustenance, v., to live.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Vivers n. pl.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/vivers>
