Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1868-1877, 1928
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†GHAISTLIN, n. Also ghastlin'.
1. A contemptuous name for a ghost.Gsw. 1877 A. G. Murdoch Laird's Lykewake 28:
Thocht I, as doun the hill I tore. "Ye thieveless, thowless pack o' ghaistlin's."Sc.(E) 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 23:
For a' the ghaistlins o' the Fell An' hank'rin' thochts he durstna tell.
2. A derogatory epithet for a thin, sickly-looking animal. Cf. Ghaist, n., 2. (1) above.Gsw. 1868 J. Young Poems 12:
The ither beast was Smilar ca'd; An' sic a ghastlin' o' a yaud The ne'er o' me had seen till then.
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"Ghaistlin n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/ghaistlin>
