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 8 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/girl>
