Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
HEALIN(G) BLADE, -LEAF, n.comb. [′helən-, see note to Hail, v.1]
1. The greater plantain, Plantago major (Sc. 1886 B. & H. 248–9; Mry., Abd. 1919 T.S.D.C. III., healin' blade; Cai. 1956).Slk. 1807 Hogg Shepherd's Guide 79:
Merry-leaf . . . called by some country people the healing-leaf, grows upon wet meadows, is long and slender, green on the upper side and red on the back.Slk. 1807 Trans. Highl. Soc. II. 389:
Mr James Hog . . . mentions the uniformly successful treatment of sheep affected with this disorder [Trembling Ill] . . . by giving them a decoction of the Dewcup and Healing leaf boiled in buttermilk.
2. The common house leek, Sempervivum tectorum (Clc. 1886 B. & H. 248–9).
[The names have been adopted in allusion to the use of the plants in medicative applications (Ib.).]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Healin Blade n. comb.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 May 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/healing_blade>
