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: 1820, 1894-1927
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GIRL, v., n. Also girr(e)l, girle. [′gɪr(əl]
I. v., intr. 1. To thrill with fear or dread (Rxb. 1825 Jam., 1923 Watson W.-B., ‡Rxb.4 1954); of the flesh: to creep.Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales I. 336:
Ye hae gart a' my flesh girrel, John.Slk. 1820 Hogg Winter Ev. Tales II. 64:
It's no deth it feers me, but the efter-kum garis my hert girle.s.Sc. 1927 “H. McDiarmid” Lucky Bag 6:
Wi' the jow o' the tide The toom houk dirls And the lady Mune lookin' Scunners and girles.
2. “To shiver with cold” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
3. Of the teeth: to be set on edge, “as when one has eaten unripe fruit” (Peb. 1825 Jam.); to have an unpleasant tingling sensation as on hearing a harsh or grating sound (Teviotd. 1825 Jam. s.v. grill).Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
That chairkin' skeelie gars iz girl.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 4:
A duist hyit jairgin things, an that menseless road-injin fair garrd mei girrl!
¶4. To make a shuddering grating noise.em.Sc.(a) 1894 “I. Maclaren” Bonnie Brier Bush 222:
Juist like the thrashing mill at Drumsheugh scraiking and girling till it's fairly aff.
II. n. “A sudden thrill or nervous shiver” (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.).
[Met. form of Grill, q.v.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Girl v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/girl>
