Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
DEFEAT, Defate, Defait(e), Defett, pa.p. and ppl.adj. [də′fet]
1. Defeated (Sc. 1812 W. Angus Eng. Grammar 341; Bnff.2, Abd.9 (defate); Ags.17, Fif.10 (defate) 1940).Sc. a.1714 in Earls of Crm. (ed. Fraser 1876) II. 496:
The Queen's pairty wes defeat, severalls tacken, the rest dispersed and fled home severall wayes.Ags. 1879 J. Guthrie Poems 60:
And, gin the shootin is done fair, They're nae defeat.
Phr.: to be defate o', to fail in (used of a purpose or intention). Known to Bnff.2 1940.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xli.:
Little won'er he was defate o' bein' made an el'yer.Abd.27 1948:
He was defate o' his scheme.
2. Exhausted, worn-out; “used to denote the overpowering effect of sickness, or fatigue” (Sc. 1825 Jam.2, defait(e); Abd. Ib., defett). Known to Bnff.2, Abd.9 1940.Sc. 1728 T. Boston Memoirs (1853) 378:
My wife bore up well, till on the Monday she was defeat.Sc. 1745 Letters to Laird of Stonywood in S. C. Misc. (1841) 415:
The bearer was much defate by bad travelling.Sc. 1815 Scott Guy M. xxxii.:
He was defeat wi' travel a' the night.Sc. 1846 Edb. Tales (Johnstone) II. 88:
But oh! he looks wan, and defaite, poor man.
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"Defeat p.p., ppl. adj.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 24 Apr 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/defeat>
