Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

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

HAW, n. Also ha'. Used as in Eng. for the hawthorn, Crataegus oxyacantha, and its red berry. Sc. combs.: 1. hawberry, the fruit of the hawthorn (Per. 1956), now mostly dial. in Eng.; 2. hawbrek, hawthorn blossom (Ayr. 1923 Wilson Dial. Burns 168, †Ayr.⁴ 1928). Cf. Eng. break, of buds, to open; 3. haw-buss, -bush, the hawthorn tree (Dmf. 1825 Jam.; Per., Knr., Rxb. 1956); 4. haw-spitter, a pea-shooter (Kcb.⁶ c.1920; Gall., Dmf. 1956); 5. haw-stone, the seed in a hawthorn berry (Gall. 1902 E.D.D.; Dmf., Uls. 1956); 6. ha(w)-tree, = 3. (ne.Sc., Per., Knr., Dmf. 1956). Obs. in Eng. since 16th c.1. Edb. 1851 A. Maclagan Sk. from Nature 20:
Whar the red red hips and hawberries hing In clusters around thee, sweet mountain spring!3. Dmf. 1808 R. H. Cromek Remains 198:
We had nae sutten lang aneath the haw-buss, till we heard the loud laugh o' fowk riding.Arg. 1912 N. Munro Ayrshire Idylls 19:
Old trees overhung the dwelling, the tall haw-bushes made a hedge to shelter it.4. Rnf. 1930 A. M. Stewart Stickleback Club 136:
In boyhood days we knew the hollow stems [of cow parsley] well, cutting the longest and straightest of them for “haw-spitters.”5. Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 76:
Boys blow haw-stones and what not through them [pieces of the dried stem of the mugwort].Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
Children make “pluffers” to “pluff” haw-stones through.6. Edb. 1801 H. Macneill Poet. Wks. 143:
Sought she the burnie whar flow'rs the haw tree?Rnf. 1845 J. Mitchell Orig. Songs 62:
Where spreads the bonny hawtree, That blossoms aye fairer when smiled on by thee.Ayr. a.1878 H. Ainslie Land of Burns (1892) 175:
The wind it cam' saft frae the southart, . . . busking our bonny hawtree.ne.Sc. 1954 Mearns Leader (1 Jan.):
There hed been an extraordinar crap o' dogs'-hippens on the wild rose busses, an' reid haws on the haw-trees.