Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1768-1895
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BELIKE, adv. and adj. Also belikes (em.Sc. 1912 W. Cuthbertson Dykeside Folk 211) (see -S, suff., (2)), bee-like. N.E.D. gives adv. as St.Eng. but adj. as obs. The Concise Eng. Dict. marks the adv. as arch. and the Un. Eng. Dict. as arch. and provincial; both omit the adj.
1. adv. Perhaps, probably, maybe; surely, as it were, seemingly.Sc. 1824 Scott Redgauntlet x.:
O ay; in Edinburgh, belike.Sc. 1887 R. L. Stevenson Underwoods 93:
Belike to hear Auld voices fa'in saft an' slee.Abd. [1768] A. Ross Helenore (1866) 254:
But ye'll hae of her, but a silly prize, An' soon belike may her and hers despise.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 193:
'Twas but the ither day, belike, an' he was young an' fier.Fif. 1812 W. Tennant Anster Fair vi. xli.:
She laugh'd and nodded courteously her head, Belike to clear away my doubt and awe.
2. adj. Likely. This usage may have arisen through ellipsis.Dmb. 1844 W. Cross Disruption vii.:
It's bee-like your antie is not past the time o' day yet for jumping at a man if she just has the offer.Lnk. 1825 Jam.2:
That story's no be-like.
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"Belike adv., adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Sep 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/belike>
