Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1866-1927
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‡SLOOM, n.2, v.2 Also sleum; and altered form sloon. [sl(j)um, slun]
I. n. A rumour, a piece of hearsay or gossip (Abd. 1951, sloon).Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 168:
There's a sloon it the merchan's gain' t' brack.Abd. 1872 J. G. Michie Deeside Tales 154:
There were slooms that it had been meddled wi'.
II. v. Only in derivs. sloomin, sleuman, vbl.n., a secret or stealthy report, a rumour (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 230, sleuman), ppl.adj., of persons: gossipy, tale-bearing, tittle-tattling (Bnff., Abd. 1880 Jam.); sloomer, a gossip-monger.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxvii.:
He's lickly heard some sleumin o' fa it is that has raelly gotten Gushetneuk.Abd. 1880 G. Webster Crim. Officer 61:
There hed been some sleumin' aboot stealin' oot o' the shop.Ayr. 1927 J. Carruthers A Man Beset i. ii.:
"What other way could I hear?" — "I don't know, but you might. Mrs. Begg, if you ask me, is just about as bad a sloomer as her son."
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"Sloom n.2, v.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 19 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/sloom_n2_v2>
