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 1965 (SND Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LOAD, v., n. Also lod(e), lodd. Sc. usages. For the historic Sc. forms see Laid.

I. v. Pa.t. load, loadit; pa.p. weak load, lodd, strong loaden, -in, obs. or dial. in Eng. These forms are commonest in n.Sc.Sc. 1711 Records Conv. Burghs (1885) 11:
Even the ships which have arrived and are so much talked of have been for the most part loaden with tobacco.Sc. 1752 Caled. Mercury (6 Jan.):
Heating the Dock of a Gun in the Fire, which unfortunately happened to be load.Abd. 1759 Abd. Council Registers LXII. 252:
There are a good many goods load and unload.Sc. 1806 R. Jamieson Ballads I. 293:
The gantry was ay keepit loaden Wi' bowies o' nappie bedeen.Slk. 1835 Hogg Wars of Montrose I. 253:
They fled to the snowy hills, … loaden as they were with spoil.Lnk. 1877 W. McHutchison Poems 56:
Wi' banes his cuddy-cart was load.Per. 1881 R. Ford Hum. Sc. Readings 50:
He load again, prepared to go.Sc. 1893 Stevenson Catriona xxiii.:
He made it a small affair to find some good plain family of merchants, where Catriona might harbour till the Rose was loaden.Bch. 1930 Abd. Univ. Review (March) 104:
The load cairt gaed ower baith ma legs.Sh. 1952 J. Hunter Taen wi da Trow 13:
Lod wi priests, an Roman sojers.

II. n. 1. As in Eng., esp. of a horse-load. See Laid, n., 1. and 2. Freq. as a collective pl.e.Lth. 1733 Hist. Bwk. Nat. Club XVIII. 62:
He sent me a present of 13 horse load of cones.

2. A heavy attack or dose (of the cold) (Sc. 1881 A. Mackie Scotticisms 33; Uls. 1886 Patterson Gl.; I. and n.Sc., Fif. 1961). Hence phr. load(ed) wi the cauld (I.Sc. 1961).Sh. 1886 J. Burgess Sketches 15:
I'm gotten an odious lodd o' da caald.Sh. 1897 Shetland News (4 Dec.):
I wiss doo mayna repent dy ootgaein' wi' da load o' cauld 'at wis apo' dee afore.