Show Search Results Show Browse

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1960 (SND Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

LAB, n., v. Also labb. [lɑb, lǫb]

I. n. 1. A lump, or large piece of anything (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Slk. a.1838 Jam. MSS. X. 178; Bwk. 1942 Wettstein); a portion, fragment, bit; a shred or piece, as of skin or cloth torn away and hanging loose (Lth., Dmf., Rxb. 1960).Bwk. 1856 G. Henderson Pop. Rhymes 57:
Neist day, the corn was blawn to labbs.
s.Sc. 1859 J. Watson Bards 107:
See that ye get labs by herte O' the prophit Jerimiah.

2. Hence: a pendulous ornament, a projecting drooping part of an object.Kcb. 1814 W. Nicholson Tales 27:
A Roman urn, wi' siller labs.

3. A blow, a stroke (Ags. 1808 Jam.; Rxb. 1942 Zai; Bwk., Slk. 1960).Bwk. 1823 A. Hewit Poems 65:
[I] maun bide the lab o' critics bill Like ither fowk.

4. A throwing of anything out of the hand, a pitching, tossing movement. Specif.: a game of marbles (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.; Ayr. 1960) “where the cully is thrown from the hand at the ring” (Dmb. 1919 T.S.D.C., labbie; Gsw. 1960); a large marble used in the game (Slg. 1960, labbie).Edb. 1822 R. Wilson Poems 30:
His horse stood still, an' wi' a wallop, Clean heels-owre-head he wi' a lab Stack to the shouthers like a stab.
Lnk. 1825 Jam.:
Penny-stanes, quoits, &c., are said to be thrown with a lab.

II. v. 1. To rip or tear skin or cloth so as to leave a shred or strip hanging loose (Lth. 1960). Cf. n., 3.Lth. 1958:
I've labbit my jaicket on a nail.

2. To strike severely, beat (Sc. 1825 Jam.), to swipe, deliver a slashing blow.Sc. 1828 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) II. 165:
I hae nae fears that a' the axes o' our enemies . . . could ever . . . penetrate through the outer ring . . . far less lab awa intil the heart o' the michty bole o' the Tree.
Gsw. 1910 H. Maclaine My Frien' 24:
My golf stick labbed him on the chin.

3. To dash, clash, fall flat, pitch forward on the face (Sc. 1880 Jam.).Ayr. 1883 W. Aitken Lays 137:
A cuddy ne'er try to bamboozle 'im, Or else ye, like Rab, in the dyke-shuch may lab.
Gsw. 1884 H. Johnston Martha Spreull 95:
The heavy-fingert tawse labbit wi' a stingin' clash on Tammas' jaw-blade.
Lnk. 1895 W. Stewart Lilts 59:
On I sprauchled heid agee, Till against the wa' I labbit.

4. (1) To pitch, throw from the hand (Lnk. 1825 Jam.; Ayr. 1960), “with a swing of the arm, in the manner a quoit is thrown” (Sc. 1818 Sawers). Comb. lab-in-the-tub, a kind of cockshy at a fair, consisting of a slightly-tilted pail or tub into which balls are thrown. Those which do not bounce out again win a prize.Gsw. 1863 J. Young Ingle Nook 70:
An' tho' thy trouts are genty gabbit, The wale o' them, on bank, he's labbit.
Dmb. 1931 A. J. Cronin Hatter's Castle i. ii.:
Galleries, coco-nut shies, lab-in-the-tub.

(2) Fig. To dash down hurriedly (in writing).Lth. 1858 The Dark Night 227:
Just lab down some bit word or twa.

5. To walk with a long swinging step (Rnf. 1788 E. Picken Poems Gl.).

[Sc. form of Eng. lob, a lump, something pendulous, of uncertain orig. Cf. Du. lob(be), a hanging lip, hanging sleeve, e.Fris. lob(be), a hanging lump of flesh. The v. meanings are from the n. but the exact sense development is uncertain. See P.L.D. § 54.]

You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.

"Lab n., v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 29 Mar 2024 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/lab_n_v>

16988

snd

Hide Advanced Search

Browse SND:

    Loading...

Share: