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: 1871, 1928-1949
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DOSS, n.1 and v.2
1. n.
(1) A knot or bow, such as of ribbon, flowers, hair, etc. (Nai. 1813 W. Leslie Agric. Nai. and Mry. 453; Bnff.12 1860; Cai. 1900 E.D.D.; Bnff.2, Abd.2 1940), a knot of people (Mry.1 1925). Dims. dossach, dossie, a small knob or heap (Mry.1 1925; Bnff.2, Abd. correspondents 1940), dossick, “a small truss or bundle” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 40), and double dim. dosslie, a knot of ribbon, a rosette.ne.Sc. 1949 Scots Mag. (June) 229:
Gie me a dossie o' dilse frae the sea, An' the wheeple o' whaups on the wing.Mry.5 1928:
I kent the minister by his fite doss.Abd. 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xl.:
Plates . . . nately full't o' milk pottage wi' a braw dossie o' gweed broon succar i' the middle o' ilka dish.Abd.15 1928:
He his a wee dosslie o' coloured tape in's button-hole; that's fat ye ca' yer comatee, is't?
Hence dossie, adj., bushy, applied to plants, such as kail, with a thick, even foliage (Kcb.4 1900).
(2) “A bonnet or cap” (Ags.4 1916). Cf. Dash, n.2. Comb. kick-doss, the game of kick-bonnety, see Kick, v., 3.(3), (4).
2. v. To loop up so as to form a rosette or bow (Mry. 1916 T.S.D.C. II.; Mry.1 1925).
[Gael. dos, tuft, bow, bunch of hair.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Doss n.1, v.2". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/doss_n1_v2>
