Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

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.

WALLOW, v.¹ Also wally (Sc. 1905 E.D.D.); ¶willow. Pa.t. wallowt, Pa.p. wallowt, wallow(e)d, wallot, ¶wailowit, and prob. misreading ¶wallourt (Sc. c.1826 Geordie in Child Ballads (1956) IV. 138); †wallit (Ags. 1879 Forfar Poets (Fenton) 147, Dmf. 1973); wallied (Fif. 1882 S. Tytler Sc. Marriages I. 265, 1895 Id. Macdonald Lass iii.). [′wɑlə]

1. Lit. and fig. To wither, fade, lose colour, waste away (Cai., Ags., Per., Lnk. 1973). Chiefly in ppl.adj.Sc. a.1719 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) I. 233:
In thrawis of death, with wailowit cheik.Sc. 1724 Treatise on Fallowing 46:
When it [clover] is fully flowered, and before the Flowers begin to willow and decay.Sc. a.1792 Geordie in Child Ballads No. 209 A. iii.:
She wallowt like a lily.wm.Sc. 1821 Scots Mag. (April) 352:
The wallot skaud o' our mither tounge.Sc. 1828 Quarterly Jnl. Agric. I. 431:
Symptoms of disease can only exhibit themselves in the leaves, which become “wallowed.”Clc. 1850 J. Crawford Doric Lays 52:
The icy tags that hing About our wallow't hearts.Fif. 1897 S. Tytler Witch-Wife iii.:
The poor bairns who were so wallied and weak before their breath went out.Kcb.⁴ 1900:
A green leaf turning yellow is said to be wallowin.Ags. 1930 A. Kennedy Orra Boughs xxvii.:
He had noticed their greyness [of fingers] against the wallowing browns of the fiddle's belly.Lnk. 1951 G. Rae Howe o' Braefoot 65:
They [leeks] look gey wallit, an' deein' like.

2. Transf. of a stream: to dry up.Ags. 1894 A. Reid Songs 40:
The wallow't burnie scarce ye see.