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 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

STOUT, adj., adv. Also stoot. Sc. usages. [stut]

I. adj. 1. As in Eng. Comb. ‡stootrife, strongly-built, powerful (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Wgt., Dmf., Rxb. 1971). Adv. stootly, in Ork.: very, greatly (Ork. 1971).Ork. 1908 Old-Lore Misc. I. viii. 323:
Me brither Willick's stootly trowie an' awfully toutless.Ork. 1931 J. Leask Peculiar People 125:
Da wey da grun waas laid oot dan waas no witty-like, an' stootly fashus tae wirk forbye.

2. Of persons: in good health, robust, freq. in reference to recovery after an illness (Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 51; I. and n.Sc., Ags., Kcb. 1971).Abd. 1759 F. Douglas Rural Love 11:
Tho' turn'd of fifty, stout and healthy.Sc. 1818 S. Ferrier Marriage xxvi.:
Ye offen see a hale stoot man, like our puir freend, gang like the snuff o' a cannel.Ayr. 1821 Galt Annals xl.:
Miss Sabrina having been long frail (for she was never stout).Fif. 1867 J. Morton C. Gray 43:
My laddies noo are stout an' tall.Slk. 1875 Border Treasury (13 March) 373:
He shakit hands wi' me, an' hopit I wad sune be stoot again.Lth. 1884 A. S. Swan Carlowrie x.:
Ye're no lookin' very stoot, Mrs. Dalrymple.Ags. 1899 Barrie W. in Thrums ix.:
Lads, she's a fine stoot kimmer.Abd. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick ii.:
“Foo's yer gweedwife, Kirstan?” said Eppie. “Keepin middlin stoot.”

3. Of smoke: dense, thick, intense.Kcd. 1857 A. Taylor Lummie 2:
When the thick peat-reek grew stout.

4. Of wind: strong, blowing hard. Obs. in Eng.Ags. 1880 J. E. Watt Poet. Sk. 58:
Trees whase waly taps wag i' the stout norlin' breeze.

5. Determined, pig-headed, positive, foolhardy. Obs. in Eng.Sc. 1745 D. Warrand More Culloden Papers (1930) V. xv.:
I was so well as go a fishing and wett myself, and so stout as not to shift after; that threw me into a fine smart feaver.Slk. a.1835 Hogg Tales (1837) II. 328:
I say, Annie, I hae been a wee stout at the courtin' too.

II. adv. With power or determination, strenuously.Sc. 1776 D. Herd Sc. Songs II. 138:
We sat sae late, and drank sae stout.Abd. 1879 G. MacDonald Sir Gibbie xxv., xlvi.:
Still he carolled stoot. . . . I cudna hae spoken the word, gien I had daured ever sae stoot.