Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

†SKLINTER, n., v., adv. Also sklinner (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 161). [′sklɪn(t)ər]

I. n. A splinter, a broken piece or fragment; in pl. of anything shattered, smithereens (Gregor).Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize II. ix.:
Nature had worked out the root of the evil in the shape of a sklinter of bone.

II. v. To splinter, to break of in fragments or flakes.Ayr. 1823 Galt R. Gilhaize I. xiv.:
A hoop to mend her leg that sklintered aff as they were dressing her for the show.Ags. 1930 A. Kennedy Orra Boughs xxviii.:
Their existence sklinters whaur it shauchled.Sc. 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Scots 34:
Reeshlin' banes, And sklinterin' rocks, and brakin' chains.m.Sc. 1994 John Burns in James Robertson A Tongue in Yer Heid 25:
Suddentlie reid sparks gaed sklinterin oot ower the flair as Iain warked the haunnle a bit ower quick. The pownie gied a lowp an Jock had tae jouk back an let go its fuit.

III. adv. In splinters (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 161); also fig., with speed (Id.)