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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.

WEED, n.¹, v.¹ Also wed (Sc. 1706 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 437); weyd (Abd. 1863 G. MacDonald D. Elginbrod v.), wyde (Abd. 1918 W. B. Morren The Hert's Aye 6; Bnff. 1939 J. M. Caie Hills and Sea 45). Sc. forms and usage of Eng. weed. [wid, ne.Sc., Fif. + wəid]

I. n. 1. As in Eng. The form weedock represents (1) weed + -Ock, suff., II., a little weed; (2) weed + Heuk, a weed-hook, an implement for cutting weeds (Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 275). Also weedick.(1) Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 280:
To pou the weedocks frae amang the corn.(2) e.Lth. 1807 Foord Acct. Bk. MS. 14:
To 2 weedick shafts.Fif. 1962 Scots Mag. (June) 209:
He always carried a walking-stick with a weedock at the bottom.

2. Potash, or kelp from burnt sea-weed (Abd. 1758 Abd. Council Register (25 Feb.)).

II. v. A. Forms. Pr.t. as above; pa.t. weedit, ‡wed (s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209; Abd. 1973); pa.p. weedit; reduced forms wed (Sc. 1743 R. Maxwell Select Trans. 327; s.Sc. 1873 D.S.C.S. 209; ‡Abd. 1973), wedd (Sc. 1717 R. Wodrow Analecta (M.C.) II. 326), wede (Sc. 1802 Scott Minstrelsy II. 157).

B. Usages: 1. As in Eng. Agent n. weeder in comb. weeder-clips, weeding shears, shears for cutting weeds.Ayr. 1787 Burns Guidwife of Wauchope ii.:
I turn'd the weeder-clips aside, An' spar'd the symbol dear.

2. In phr. to wede awa(y), (1) tr. to carry off or remove, esp. by death, to make to die off. Gen.Sc., liter. The phr. derives from the well-known line in the modern version of The Flowers o' the Forest by Jane Elliot of Minto. The reading of the earliest text is weeded (see 1756 quot.), Herd Sc. Songs (1776) I. 48 reads wed, and Scott Minstrelsy (1802) II. 157, wede, purporting to be from a fragment of a ballad antedating the song.s.Sc. 1756 F. Elliot Trustworthiness Border Ball. (1906) 166:
The Flowers of the Forest are weeded away.Sc. 1796 H. MacNeill Waes o' War 16:
Battle fast on battle raging, Wed our stalwart youths awa'.Sc. 1824 Scott Letters (Cent. Ed.) VIII. 244:
How sad it is to see those whom we love gradually weeded away.Abd. 1827 J. Imlah May Flowers 92:
The mother wails — the maiden weeps, The son and lover wede awa'.Per. 1843 R. Nicoll Poems 226:
Bairns, like things o'er fair for Death to wede away.Edb. a.1888 Mod. Sc. Poets (Edwards) XIII. 82:
Oh, bairn-time's years! oh, bairn-times' frien's! They're wede away.Rxb. 1924 Hawick Express (1 Feb.) 3:
Maist o' th' auld yins that used tae attend are a wede away.

(2) hence used intr., prob. by misunderstanding of (1): to die off, pass away.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 28:
The Browns and the Sproats are a weedin awa.

(3) In ppl.adj. weedit: ? thinned out or faded.Ayr. 1831 T. MacQueen Amusements 65:
O! white, white was his weedit hair.