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.
Quotation dates: 1818-1819
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WURF, n. Also warf; orf, urf. [(w)ʌrf]
1. A puny, ill-grown person, esp. a child (Lth. (orf), Peb. (urf), Lnk. (warf), s.Sc. (wurf) 1825 Jam.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.); a stunted peevish or malevolent creature (Watson). Hence (w)urf-like.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck vi.:
What ir ye, I say, ye bit useless weasel-blawn like urf that ye're?Sc. 1819 J. Rennie St Patrick II. x.:
Let go my arm this meenit ye wyle, wurf-like wuddifu' o sin.
2. A fairy (Lnk. 1825 Jam.), elf, hobgoblin.
[Jam. suggests a reduced form of Warwoof, id., which is possible. See note to Wirl, n.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Wurf n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 17 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/wurf>
