Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
KIVIN, n. Also kiv(v)an.
1. A mixed crowd of people esp. when gathered together for amusement, a bevy (Teviotd. 1825 Jam.; Kcb. 1960). Cf. Covine, n., 3.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 421:
To scail the kivvan, to separate the party.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
A kivin' o' folk at Bosells Fair.
2. A covey, a flock, as of partridges (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 306; Ayr. 1880 Jam.).
[O.Sc. coven, -an, a company, band. See Covine, and note.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Kivin n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 3 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/kivin>
