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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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About this entry:
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.

CAIP, Cape, Cap, n.¹ and v. Sc. forms of Eng. cope  (Abd. 1909 J. Tennant Jeannie Jaffray 48, caip). Also found in Eng. dial., Cum., Yks., Lin., Som. (E.D.D.). [kep, kɑp]

I. n.

1. “The highest part of anything” (Sc. 1808 Jam.); a coping (Abd.¹⁹ 1938).Sc. 1799 Prize Essays and Trans. Highl. Soc. Scot. I. 189–190:
A stone dike . . . four feet in height, with a cape of stone, will defend your plantation from cows and horses; but a foot more, with a cape of turf . . . will be necessary to defend it from sheep.Rnf. a.1813 A. Wilson Poems and Lit. Prose (ed. Grosart 1876) II. 60:
High stood the gibbet's dismal cape.Rxb. 1848 R. Davidson Leaves 57: 
The fabric rais'd 'mang bluid an' toil, - The cape was laid at Bannockburn.

2. “The seat board on the front of a cart” (Ayr. 1938 (per Kcb.⁹)).

3. Combs.: (1) cap-neb, “an iron toe-plate” (n.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Slk. (Ettr. For.) 1825 Jam.²), put on to protect the toe of the shoe; (2) cap-sheaf, the straw forming the top of a thatched rick; (3) caip-stane, -steen, cap(e)-stane, capestone, caipin' stane, a coping stone (Bnff.², -steen, Abd.⁹, Fif.¹⁰ 1938; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., caipin' stane, caip-stane). Also in reduced form cappy. Both (2) and (3) are also used fig.(2) Ayr. 1846 Ballads and Songs (ed. Paterson 1847) Series I. 105:
The neighbourhood turned out in a body . . . to share in the triumph of putting the cap-sheaf, as it were, on Peter's castle.(3) m.Sc. 1870 J. Nicholson Idylls o' Hame 73:
The capstane, the tapstane, O' life's slow risin' cairn.Gsw. 1717 Burgh Records Gsw. (ed. Marwick 1908) 609:
There is a part of the Green dyck falling and wanting capestone.Ayr. 1786 Burns Poor Mailie's Elegy i.:
The last, sad cape-stane of his woes; Poor Mailie's dead!Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Tales 92: 
Alike in every science happy, To pluck a tooth, or set a cappy.

4. See Capes, n.pl.

II. v. To put on the cover of a roof (Sc. 1825 Jam.², caip), or wall.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
Ti caip a dyke.