Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

HARDHEID, n. Also -head.

1. In names of fishes: (1) the grey gurnard, Trigla gurnardus (m.Lth. 1811 P. Neill Wernerian Soc. Mem. I. 539). Also in reduced dim. form hurdie (Bnff. 1914); (2) the sea scorpion or father-lasher, Cottus scorpius (Fif. 1710 R. Sibbald Fif. and Knr. 53; Sc. 1904 J. M. Campbell Notes on Bell Rock 12; Ayr.⁹ 1956).

2. In plant-names: (1) the sneezewort, Achillea ptarmica (Ayr. 1811 W. Aiton Agric. Ayr. 675; w.Sc. 1825 Jam.), also occas. in pl. (B. and H. 240–241); (2) the black knapweed, Centaurea nigra (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Kcb. 1956); also applied to the head of the plant (Ib.). Common in several Eng. dials.; (3) the ribwort, Plantago lanceolata (Fif., Kcb., Dmf. 1956); also applied to the children's game in which this plant is used as conkers (Ib., Ork. 1956).