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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.

REESK, n. Also reisk, riesk; risk; reisque, reask, riask; erron. reesh. [risk]

1. A growth of natural coarse grasses or rushes, on rough, waste or marshy ground (Bnff., Abd. 1968).Abd. 1735 J. Arbuthnot Buchan Farmers (1811) 58:
It should be allowed to return to its native swards, whether it be rushes or reesk intermixed with other grass.Fif. 1795 Stat. Acc.¹ XII. 576:
A coarse kind of grass, called by the country people reesk.Abd. 1821 Farmer's Mag. (May) 132:
The common rush (Juncus conglomeratus), and the moss-rush (Juncus squarrosus), called by the country people Reesk.Abd. 1915 H. Beaton Benachie 15:
Not only had the ground to be cleared of heather, whins and “reesk”, but also of stones.

Hence derivs. reeskie, riesky, having a growth of coarse natural grasses; riskish, id., (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 410).Abd. 1741 Session Papers, Buchan v. Moir (April) 20:
Having riskey Ground of their own upon the Lands of Whitecairn.Abd. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 7:
Owre the bent to the reiskie den.Abd. 1817 J. Christie Instructions 16:
In boggy grounds among rushes and riesky places.Abd. 1912 Buchan Assoc. Mag. (Jan.) 1:
A lot of growth and moss aff the reisky bank.Abd. 1929 W. Littlejohn Bch. Cottar Stories 18:
Above that was placed a layer of good rough reeskie divots.

2. A piece of untilled moor or marshy ground covered with natural grasses (Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Mry. 463; Abd., Kcd. 1968) common in place-names (Cai., Rnf., Ayr., Kcb. 1968).Bte. 1765 Rothesay T.C. Records (1935) II. 884:
A Riask or piece of Whinny ground near to the Houses of Townhead.Sc. 18th c. Merry Muses (1911) 79:
But sic a risk below a hill The plough she took a stane, jo.Kcd. 1813 G. Robertson Agric. Kcd. 317:
What in this and in the adjacent county of Aberdeen, is provincially called Reisque or Reisk; more from its natural produce, which is a mixture of poor heath and stunted coarse grasses.Abd. 1891 T. Mair Arn And His Wife 58:
Wi' Jeames an' them to tear a skelp O' reask to Saunders Todd.Cai. 1904 E.D.D.:
Reesk. A strip of grass between patches of cultivated ground. On this the weeds and stones used to be thrown.Abd. 1932 R. L. Cassie Scots Sangs 31:
Roon the reesk I dauner.