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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 1976 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1768-1935

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FLOCHTER, v., n. Also flouchter, †floughter, fluchter. Cf. Flauchter, v.2, n.2 [′flɔxtər, ′flʌx-]

I. v. To flutter, flit about. Also fig., to get excited, to be unrestrainedly gleeful (Dmf. 1825 Jam.). Hence deriv. from pa.p. floughterty, flighty, changeable in mood.Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 79:
In their bowies wi' barehochs, they plunged their turn, And fluchter'd about the bonello.
Abd. 1853 W. Cadenhead Flights 215:
[Woman] sae fickle and floughterty, married or free.
Ork. 1911 Old-Lore Misc. IV. ii. 186:
Then dere was a' kinds o' burds, . . . at gaed flouchteran about da facies o' tha gues.

II. n. 1. A flutter, lit. and fig.; a state of excitement (Abd.13 1910; Abd.27 1952).Gall. 1884 D. McWhirter Musings 24:
The nest that she had wrocht her Which cost her mony a weary flouchter.
Abd. 1935 J. White Sea Road v.:
He'll be up to some devilment or other, but there's no need to get into a fluchter.

2.  A frightened person or animal (Cai. 1972 D. Omand Cai. Book 247).

Hence: ‡(1) flochtersome, joyous (Dmf. 1825 Jam.); easily elated or flurried (Sc. 1880 Jam.; Per. 1900 E.D.D.); flighty, giddy, feather-brained. †(2) flo(u)chtrous, floughtrous, floughtress (Ags. 1809 A. Balfour Campbell xviii.), hurried and confused, fluttering, palpitating; †(3) flochtry, id. (n.Sc. 1808 Jam.).(1) Ags. 1823 A. Balfour Foundling II. 96: 
Young fowks is sometimes floughtersome.
Sc.(E) 1935 W. Soutar Poems in Scots 28:
The diddle O' flochtersome fife, and flute, and fiddle.
(2) Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 55:
But floughtrous dreams stroove what hey mought to spill The saught that sleep was making to her ill.
Mry. 1806 R. Jamieson Ballads I. .241:
And fey and weary waxt the maid; Cald sweat hang on her brow; Her flouchtrous heart near brast wi' teen; Her limbs fordweblit grew.

[Freq. form of Flocht.]

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"Flochter v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/flochter>

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