Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1952 (SND Vol. III). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1715-1892, 1973
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†DINT, n.2, v. Also dent.
1. n.
(1) A chance, occasion, opportunity. Also phr. to steal a dint, to seize an opportunity against (someone). See also Dunt.Sc. 1715 T. Boston Memoirs (1852) 262:
Praying in these terms, in that case, that the Lord would not take a stolen dint.Sc. 1737 Ramsay Proverbs 58:
Stown dints are sweetest.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 98:
An' likes him yet, for a' that's come an' gane; An' boot to tell for fear I lost the hint, Sae that I on him hae na stealt a dint.Rnf. 1835 D. Webster Rhymes 58:
Sandy McNab by some unlucky dint, Was nae waur o' a trap till his feet they fell in't.Ayr. c.1785 Burns Poet's Welcome (Cent. ed.) iv.:
Sweet fruit o' monie a merry dint, My funny toil is no a' tint.Rxb. 1821 A. Scott Poems 156:
Sweet patients of the female kind, That to a man were never joined, Except by some clandestine dint.
(2) A shock, deep impression, impact.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 12:
But tho' the young fouks liked other sair, They never yet had dint o' warld's care; For marriage was as far out o' their sight, As their intrigue was honest and upricht.Ags. 1790 D. Morison Poems 154:
All bars I'll brave, nor dree a dint of shame, Nought now a days can spoil a gentle name.Dmf. 1861 R. Quinn Heather Lintie 161:
Ye're the first alive, love, E'er gae my heart sae queer a dint.Rxb. 1826 A. Scott Poems 57:
For in my breast some dint o' bodin waes Bespoke some danger frae our common faes.
(3) A thump given to herrings when packed in a barrel to press them down. See Dunt, n., 4. Sc. 1785 J. Anderson Acct. Hebrides 113:
By the present law, the person who repacks herrings, is authorised to give them three dents, as it is called, during the time of packing.
(4) A rumour, report (Ork. 1975). Cf. Dinnle, n., 4. Ork. 1973 Orcadian (8 July):
A'm heard no dint o' hid.
2. v. To pierce with an elf-arrow; fig. applied to Cupid's arrow (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 173; Kcb.4 c.1900).Ayr. 1786 Burns To Major Logan (Cent. ed.) xii.:
By some sweet elf I'll yet be dinted: Then vive l'amour!Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Tales 70:
Soon she saw the lad was dinted, Weel it suited wi' her plan.Ant. 1892 Ballymena Obs. (E.D.D.):
The cow doctors of old times could cure a cow which was either elf-shot or dinted, or both, by the use of flint arrow-heads or elf-stones.
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"Dint n.2, v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/dint_n2_v>
