Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1825-1845, 1901-1940
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DEEPIN, n. Also deepen, †dipin, †dippen.
Sc. usages of Eng. deeping, a section of a fishing-net:
1. Of a drift net: a section of net twenty meshes deep, to which other sections are attached to the requisite depth (Ayr. 1940 (per J. McCrindle)).Sc. 1825 Anon. Writer's Clerk I. 85:
If Effy Runners comes in wi' any Deepings, be sure to count the meshes, and weigh them.Arg. 1845 Stat. Acc.2 VII. 32:
The ordinary train, however, consists of 36 nets, each net being formed of smaller nets called breadths or dippens of twelve yards in length, and two in breadth.
2. Of a trawl net: "a strengthening band along the sole, a score of meshes deep, the meshes of this band being made of heavier twine than the rest of the net" (Arg.1 1926).Arg.1 1940:
"Oor traal fouled the bottom and the left wing catchit a rock and tore alang the deepin for aboot ten fathum."
3. "The bag of a salmon-net" (Lth. 1825 Jam.2, dipin).
4. Fig. in pl. in phr. out o' one's deepens, out of one's depth.Fif. 1901 "G. Setoun" Skipper of Barncraig 200:
Let's crack about something else; for ye're out o' your deepens.
5. Comb.: deepin workers, net weavers (Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems, Gl.).
[Dipin, a section of a fishing net one fathom in depth, is found in O.Sc. (Arg.), 1685, from Eng. deeping (1615).]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Deepin n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 9 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/deepin>
