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: 1807, 1910-1960
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RUMFORD, v. Also rumfoord-, -fuird. To improve the draught of a chimney by narrowing the vent by various means. Ppl.adj. rumforded, of a chimney: constructed in this manner; in quot. jocularly of a meal cooked in a rumforded fireplace.
Hence rumfo(o)rdin, a sheet of metal used as a lining or casing for the back of a fireplace (Ags., Per., Slk. 1968); a hinged board fixed under the lintel of a fireplace (Fif. 1900). [rʌm′ferdɪn]Per. 1807 Letters J. Ramsay (S.H.S.) 194, 195, 238:
Do not Rumford your kitchen or get a Rumford cook. . . . Away they drove to a Rumforded supper. . . . Taking down and Rumfording the kitchen chimney.Ags. 1910 Arbroath Guide (29 Aug.):
Rumfoordin — the iron lining or casing of a fireplace which covers the stone or brickwork.Sc. 1960 Scotsman (8 March) 8:
In Scotland, for about 140 years, the backs of kitchen grates were finished with a curved sheet of iron to protect the stonework from the heat. It measures about 3 ft. by 2 ft. and is called "rumfording."
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"Rumford v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/rumford>
