Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1813-1825, 1898-1932
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AWTE, AAT, n. The grain of wood, stone, etc. [ɑ:t]
1. The texture, in respect of closeness, hardness, etc.ne.Sc. 1898 W. G. in E.D.D.:
The tree is hard i' the awte.
2. The natural plane of cleavage.Nai., Mry. 1813 W. Leslie Gen. View Agric. Nairn and Mry. 448:
Awte. The line in a stone where it naturally may be split by the strokes of the hammer, or where the block in the quarry may be separated from the cliff.Bnff.2 1930:
Aat, a seam in a rock. "There's nae an aat in that steen."Abd. 1825 Jam.2:
Awte. The direction in which a stone, a piece of wood, etc., splits; the grain.
3. A flaw in a stone (Jam.2 1825, for Abd.).ne.Sc. 1898 W. G. in E.D.D.:
That awte i' the stane macks't o' nae eess [= use].Bnff.1 1930:
Awte, the grain in a quarry running the wrong way and spoiling the stone, is in very common use.
4. A crack or chap in the skin.Mry. 1932:
I have a bad awte in my thoum, I maun pit some roset in 't.
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"Awte n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/awte>
