Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

WINCEY, n. Also winsey, -ie, wincy, -ie; wonsey (Abd. 1813 D. Anderson Poems 82); winshey, wunshey. A cloth material woven with a woollen weft and a linen (linen wincey) or cotton (cotton wincey) warp (n.Sc. 1808 Jam., winsey; Ags. 1860 A. Whamond James Tacket 24; Lth. 1886 J. W. McLaren T. Catchiron 44); a garment made of this. Also attrib. Gen.Sc., now adopted in Eng.Abd. 1763 Aberdeen Jnl. (21 Nov.):
A stripped Winsey Petticoat.Per. 1816 J. Duff Poems 2:
Her winsies war made by sweet Modesty's rule.Ags. 1853 W. Blair Aberbrothock 77:
My wunshy coat, an' my chack aipron, an' my strippit shor'goon.Edb. 1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal 24:
She's torn my braw new wincey, To mak' a dolly's frock.Sc. 1894 Scots Mag. (March) 290:
Set her better to wear a gude winshey goon.Abd. 1917 C. Murray Sough o' War 24:
Scotlan' preen't her wincey up an' intill't geyan quick.Sc. 1933 E. S. Haldane Scot. of Our Fathers 187:
Hand-loom weaving, whether of linen or wool or the popular admixture named wincey (though wincey is now made with cotton, not linen).