Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1701, 1818-1821
[1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
†DECAY, n. A decline; used specifically of consumption. This use has been obs. in Eng. since middle 18th cent.Sc. 1701 J. Brand Descr. Orkney, Zetland, etc. 62:
They have a charm also whereby they try if persons be in a decay or not, and if they will die thereof.Sc. 1818 Scott H. Midlothian xviii.:
Her son that she had left at hame weak of a decay.Ayr. 1821 Galt Ann. Parish xviii.:
He fell into a decay, and died in the winter.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Decay n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 13 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/decay>
