Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

SCRAB, n. [skrɑb]

1. The crab-apple, Pyrus malus (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Dmf. 1917; Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1969; Uls. 1993). See also Scribe, n.²Ayr. 1833 J. Kennedy G. Chalmers 33:
Help them to shear the corn when the scrabs are ripe.

‡2. Anything stunted, shrivelled or gnarled, as a person or animal, a limb, a tree or shrub; the dried stumps or roots of old heather (Bnff. 1969). Dims. scrabble, -lich, id. (Gregor). Adj. scrabbie, stunted, gnarled (Id.).Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 27:
Thro' birns an' pits, an' scrabs, an' heather lang.Abd. 1790 A. Shirrefs Poems 346:
It's sae beset wi' scrabs and burs, I mean a set o' critic curs.Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 150:
A scrab o' a tree, a scrab o' a beast, scrabs o' fingers.Sc. 1928 J. G. Horne Lan'wart Loon 14:
Whiles haudin' by a wurly scrabble That yerkt him upwart in his habble.