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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 and 2005 supplements.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BOYNE, Boine, Boyn, Bine, Byne, Bowen, Bowne, n. Also erron. bozen (Sc. 1855 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. 721). More common in m. and sm.Sc. than in the north. [bɔɪn, bəin Sc., but Per. + bʌuən, e.Per. + boɪn (Sir James Wilson)]

1. “A flat broad-bottomed vessel, into which milk is emptied from the pail” (Lth. 1825 Jam.²); “a broad shallow dish made of staves, for holding milk” (Per. Ib., bowen).Bnff. 1706 Sc. N. & Q. (2nd Ser.) II. 75:
Ane bowne and little bowne, 3 thrie-luged tubes.m.Sc. 1928 “O. Douglas” Eliza for Common xiii.:
An' I've some guid thick cream, for Jeannie at Hill-foot skimmed the best o' a milk-bine for me.em.Sc. 1918 J. Black Gloamin' Glints 117:
Dae ye kep it [rain] a' in milk boynes at Crooklan's?Edb. 1823 M. and M. Corbett Petticoat Tales I. 334:
I saw your gudeman throwing the whole milk out of the boines, that he might fill them with whiskey punch.sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
bine, boyne a freestone plate for pouring milk to let cream rise.Ayr. 1821 Galt Ann. Parish iv.:
It had fallen into a boyne of milk that was ready for the creaming.

2. A tub, esp. a washing-tub (Bnff.², Kcb.¹ 1935). Hence binefu, a tubful. Abd. 1928 J. Baxter A' Ae 'Oo' 23:
She . . . teem't the heavy bine.m.Sc. 1870 J. Nicholson Idylls o' Hame 30:
Ye wad lauch to see her washin' Hardly heicher than the bine.w.Lth. 2000 Davie Kerr A Puckle Poems 19:
Drookit miners at lowsin, whan hame fae the mine,
Suin stripp't aff thir pee-wee's, ti a scrub in the bine.Arg.¹ 1932:
Gie the byne a syne afore ye pit the elaes in't.Rnf. 1993 History on your Doorstep, The Reminiscences of the Ferguslie Elderly Forum 10:
She washed the clothes in a big bine outside. Gsw. 1987 Peter Mason C'mon Geeze Yer Patter! 17:
A' the weans are fur the byne the morra night. All the children will be having a bath tomorrow night. Lnk. 1842 Children in Trades Report II. i. 3:
There was a "boyne" or large tub, through which the warm water was carried to wash the blocks. Ayr. 1954:
It's rainin a binefu.Gall. 1930 (per Wgt.³):
Seeing the mess which had been made of her clean floor, she exclaimed, “My certes, if I had the yin wha whammled that boyne on my clean flair, I wad cloot his lugs.”

3. Anything of a rounded shape, e.g. a halo.Sc. 1701–1731 R. Wodrow Analecta (Maitland Club 1842) II. 143:
When she opened the courteans she saw like a boyn, as she expressed it, about her head.