Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1965 (SND Vol. VI). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1825, 1928, 1990
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LOORACH, n. Also leurich, lur(r)ach; †lural (Mry., Bnff. 1919 T.S.D.C.). A tattered piece of cloth, a strip of rag, an untidy bit of rope or string, a trailing garment, anything of the kind untidy or messy (Inv., ne.Sc. 1961); a much worn coat (Abd. 1919 T.S.D.C., Abd. 1961); an ungainly, gangling or untidy person, a sloven, trollop (Mry.1 1928; Inv., ne.Sc., Per. 1961); in pl. rags (Mry. 1911 Trans. Banffshire Field Club 109). It is uncertain whether the 1825 quot. belongs here. [′lu:rəx]Abd. 1825 Jam., s.v. Cuttumrung:
A cuttumrung aneth her tail, a stramlach and a leurich.Mry.1 1928:
There's a loorach hinging at your goun.
Adj. loorachie, lourichy, in a poor state, e.g. of health, ailing, tottery, of a person or animal (Per. 1961); dirty, dishevelled.Abd. 1990 Stanley Robertson Fish-Hooses (1992) 173:
Her clothes became very ragged and lourichy and she never seemed tae get onything frae him but dog's abuse.
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"Loorach n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 7 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/loorach>
