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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.

WOWFF, n., v., adv. Also wowf, wouf(f); wouch, wough. [wʌuf; wʌux]

I. n. A low-pitched bark (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 481; Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 212; Rxb. 1942 Zai). Gen.Sc. Used fig. in 1894 quot. Phr. to play wouf, to bark.Edb. 1788 J. Macaulay Poems 134:
Ilka collie play'd wouf, An' barked sair.Sc. 1801 Scots Mag. (July) 497:
Paddy — now a silent cur, Without a wouff, a wow, a wurr.Edb. 1844 J. Ballantine Miller 157:
Hark! is nae that Collie's wowff?Ags. 1894 A. Reid Songs 122:
M'Drisner, neist, put in his wird An' made things waur, till sic a dird O' wouff an' worry flew aroond.Per. 1910 D. R. Kyd Rev. T. Hardy 127:
The very wowff-wowff of the collies.wm.Sc. 1937 W. Hutcheson Chota Chants 2:
The auld dog stopped its wouff.

II. v. To bark in a suppressed manner, of a dog (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., wouch). Gen.Sc.; also in redupl. form bowff-wowff-owff (Abd. 1853 W. Cadenhead Bon-Accord 249); also transf. to speak or call with a hoarse barking sound; to boom with a dull reverberating noise, to thud, used of the sound of a roof fall in a colliery (Fif. 1959, wouch).Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 59:
Currs began to wouff an' bark.Slk. 1823 Hogg Shep. Cal. (1874) ii.:
A witty wench, a woughing dog, a waukit-woo'd wedder.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 481:
I had a wee dog and he wouched at the moon.Ags. 1834 A. Smart Rambling Rhymes 111:
The gowk wowfs to the echoing woods.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 212:
A hard the wouffan o' a dog.Per. 1881 R. Ford Hum. Sc. Readings 84:
The preacher may wowf as he'd wauken the dead.

III. adv. With a dull thudding noise, thump! (ne.Sc. 1974).Per. 1942 W. Soutar Poems (1961) 71:
Wowf! roar'd the cannon.Abd. 1959 People's Jnl. (28 Nov.) 9:
Ae chiel cam' doon by hale maree an' gaed wouf intae the watter.