Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1825, 1898
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BYACK, BYAUCH, n. [bjɑk, bjɑ:x]
1. "A useless, good-for-nothing person" (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl. s.v. byack).
2. "Applied to anything small" (Ib. s.v. byauch). Hence byacksit, puny, undersized, of a person.Sh. 1898 W. F. Clark Northern Gleams 55:
Robbie wis a peerie byacksit objec.Ork., Cai. 1825 Jam.2:
"A peerie byauch": a small child, a puny calf, etc.
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"Byack n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 4 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/byack>
