Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1941 (SND Vol. II). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1795, 1880, 1956-1988
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,0]
CLAMP, n.1, v.1 Also nonce variant clam, a pile or heap. Also found in Eng. dial. (E.D.D.).
1. n. A small stack of peats or turf; "a potato pit" (Ags.17 1938; Fif.1 1940). Known to Bnff.2, Abd.2, Slg.3 1940. N.E.D., Concise, and Un. Eng. Dicts. enter as Eng., but Webster as chiefly dial.Eng. Given in E.D.D. for Ir. and Gall.Abd. 1956 Bon-Accord (4 Oct.):
The stuff wid rot if we biggit it wi' a clam like that on't!sm.Sc. 1988 W. A. D. and D. Riach A Galloway Glossary :
clamp, clump an uncovered pile of potatoes.Uls. 1880 W. H. Patterson Gl. Ant. and Dwn.:
When turfs or peats are "put out," they are left for some time to dry. . . . After some time these . . . are put into "clamps," in which they remain until they are sufficiently dry to be removed from the bog.
Comb.: clamp-kiln, a kiln for burning lime-stone, "built round, or oblong, with sods and earth" (Clc. 1795 J. F. Erskine Gen. View Agric. Clc. 36, Footnote).Clc. 1795 J. F. Erskine Agric. Clc. 36, Footnote:
The farmers generally prefer bringing up the [lime] stones, and burning them in clamp-kilns, on, or near those fields that they intend to lime.
2. v. "To pile up turf; to heap up potatoes or turnips in a mound" (Sc. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.).
[Prob. a variant of Eng. clump. Cf. also Du. klamp, a heap.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Clamp n.1, v.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/clamp_n1_v1>
