Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1908
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BOL, BOLE, Boul, Boli, n.1, v.1 [bo:l(i), bɔul]
1. n.
(1) “A blazing fire” (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); 1914 Angus Gl., bōl).
(2) “A dense cloud of smoke” (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl., bole; 1914 Angus Gl.).Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
A boli o' reek, very dense smoke.
(3) fig. In phr. in a bol, of human beings: in a state of heat and perspiration.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
He was in a b[ol] o' sweat.
2. v.
(1) To blaze.Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928):
A bo(u)lin fire.
(2) “To burst out, as a volume of smoke” (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.); “of smoke; dust, etc., in quantities: to smoke; drift; drive before the wind; roll onward or along” (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)).
[Cf. O.N. bāl, a great fire, Eng. bale-fire. O.N. ā may become [ō, ū, more rarely ɔu] m Sh. (see Jak. Intro. p. xlv. 2).]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Bol n.1, v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/bol_n1_v1>
