Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

FREESTANE, n. Also frei- (s.Sc.), -steen (n.Sc.). Sc. forms of the now rather obsol. Eng. freestone, a kind of easily worked sandstone; a block of this stone. Also attrib.Sc. 1710 R. Sibbald Fif. & Knr. ii. iv.:
There are many Quarries of good Stone in this Shire, I mean of Free-stone; that at Dalgatie upon the Coast is the best.
Edb. 1788 Bk. Old Edb. Club XXIV. 55:
Observed a great number of new freestones lying on the Mound.
Abd. 1865 G. Macdonald Alec Forbes xiv.:
I like to work upo' hard stane mysel. Nane o' yer saft freestane, 'at ye cud cut wi' a k-nife, for me!
Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 12:
An abeen de yett was a bonnie square free-steen wi' letters cuttid on him.
Rxb. 1921 Hawick Express (27 May):
Yon freistane border that's roond th' tablet got on my nerves.
Dmf. 1951 Scotsman (26 March):
The well-known red free-stone from this quarry has been used in many public buildings all over Britain.

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Freestane n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 28 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/freestane>

11972

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: