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: 1894-1953
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GLOID, v., n. Also gluide, †gloit. [glɔɪd]
I. v. 1. "To work with the hands in something liquid, miry, or viscous" (Ags. 1808 Jam., gloit). Hence deriv. gloittry, adj., applied to work "which is not only wet, but unctuous or slippery to the touch" (n.Sc. Ib. s.v. gluddery).
2. To do anything in a dirty, awkward manner (Ags. Ib.), to make a botch of a job, to mess (about). Hence gloidin, adj., awkward, slovenly (Ags.1 1926), always in a mess or muddle (Ags. 1954).Ags. 1894 J. B. Salmond My Man Sandy (1899) v.:
She's a clorty, weirdless-lookin' cratur. I'm dootin' Moses hasna muckle o' a hame wi' her, the gloidin' tawpie 'at she is.Ags. 1912 A. Reid Forfar Worthies 80:
How did Dr Jamieson happen to miss such common terms as . . . gloid, which were so expressive when a man made a mess of his web or work . . . or when, as a "gloidin' eedit," he fairly stuck it altogether?Ags.19 1953:
To gloid aboot among stuff.
II. n. 1. A botch, a mess.Ags. 1902 A. Reid Royal Burgh Forfar 262:
Some have made a "perfit gluide" of their observations.
2. A slovenly, wastefulperson (Ags.19 1954).
[Prob. a voiced variant from the stem of Cloiter, to work in a dirty manner, esp. in wet, messy stuff. Cf. Cloit. n.2 and Gloit.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Gloid v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 10 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gloid>
