Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1968 (SND Vol. VII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1701-1743, 1838-1894
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PROSPECT, n. Sc. usage: a spy-glass, telescope, a perspective (Sc. 1782 J. Sinclair Ob. Sc. Dial. 126, 1825 Jam.). Also in combs. pocket prospect (Sc. 1799 H. Mitchell Scotticisms 66), prospect-glass, id., obs. in Eng. in 17th c.Sc. 1701 Foulis Acct. Bk. (S.H.S.) 293:
To Jamie Gray to pay Mr barcklay for helping my prospect and for a new glass to it . . . 18s. 0d.ne.Sc. 1714 R. Smith Poems (1853) 5:
When at the top through his Prospect He looked round, both far and near, If he could spy a good fat Deer.Sc. 1743 D. Hume Ess. Rise Arts & Sc. (1817) I. 106:
A man may as reasonably pretend to cure himself of love, by viewing his mistress through the artificial medium of a microscope or prospect.Per. 1838 W. Scrope Deer-stalking 151:
So now wipe my glass — no, not the whiskey glass, man, but the prospect, as you call it.Sc. 1871 J. W. Carlyle Letters (1883) I. 257:
Susan . . . had from her windows, with a prospect-glass, singled me out on the . . . deck of the steamer.Kcb. 1894 Crockett Raiders iv.:
The most part of us were out on the heuchs, looking to sea-ward with my father's old prospect-glass.
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"Prospect n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 18 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/prospect>
