Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1958
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BULLBATER, n. Sc. usage: anything big, specif. a large spinning-top.Rxb. 1958 Trans. Hawick Arch. Soc. 20:
We used to make yin [top] oot o' a pirn wi' a tacket in the bottom. Some had big bullbaters that took some lickin'.
[Appar. bull + baiter, used fig.]
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"Bullbater n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 21 Mar 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/snd00088193>
