Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1956 (SND Vol. IV). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1728, 1808-1861, 1914-1995
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GORBLIN, n. Also gorbling (Jam.), gorbleen (Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). An unfledged bird (Fif. 1880 Jam.; ne.Sc., Ags.18 1955). Applied also to “anything very young and bare” (S.D.D.). Also attrib. [′gɔrblɪn]Sc. 1728 Ramsay Poems (1877) II. 311:
And gape like gorblins to the sky, With hungry wames and empty pouches.Rxb. 1808 A. Scott Poems 245:
The burdies . . . wha . . . for their helpless gorblins toil.Edb. 1812 P. Forbes Poems 74:
Syne in the gown when he is drest, He looks fu' big; Like gorblin sprawlin' on its nest.Bch. 1861 J. Davidson Poems 119:
An' we gie the gorblins wormies, as mony as they can eat.Bch. 1946 J. C. Milne Orra Loon 23:
Glowerin' in at gorblins Pu'in' puddock steels.
Comb.: gorblin oo', the downy feathers of a young bird, hence any downy growth. Cf. Gorbit.Abd. 1914 Rymour Club Misc. II. 141:
Hey, mither, am I a man; there's hair about my moo? . . . Haud yer tongue, ye feel breet; it's only gorblin oo'!Sc. 1995 David Purves Hert's Bluid 53:
For fullie a week the gorblin blekkie
wi the mittilt weing cokkit its heid
at our houss door and keikit up
at me wi pit-mirk sheinin een.
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"Gorblin n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 5 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gorblin>
