Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
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.

MEAL, n.², v.² Also mail (Ayr. 1789 G. Campbell Poems 121; Sc. 1831 S. Ferrier Destiny xviii.; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B., Lnk. 1947 G. Rae Sandy Macrae 105), male, mael. Sc. forms and usages of Eng. meal, a repast. [Sc. mil, but Bnff., em.Sc.(a), wm., sm. and s.Sc. mel]

I. n. 1. Sc. form of Eng. meal, taking of food. (Sh., Ork., Ags. 2000s).Arg. 1992:
Maybe he got a fine male, an a that spiced food an everything.

2. Food, diet, fare.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore (S.T.S.) 52, 111:
Their mail was made twice better than before, . . . To mend your mail, and syn to set you free.

3. Combs.: (1) male-a[t]-forren, an extra snack before a regular meal (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 336). Also in Eng. dial. See Forehand; (2) male o' meat, meal's- (Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.), the amount of food eaten at one meal (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 336; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.). Obs. exc. dial. in Eng.; (3) meal's more, a great deal, ever so much, abundance.(2) Wgt. 1802 G. Fraser Lowland Lore (1880) 70:
To have tou meals of mit Every wick Day.Uls. 1900 A. McIlroy Craig-linnie Burn 30:
A' hae niver known what it was tae be ailin, or miss a male's meat.wm.Sc. 1903 S. Macplowter Mrs. McCraw 91:
A dinna sorn on the Laird fur a male o' mate.Rxb. 1925 E. C. Smith Mang Howes 10:
Neext A speerd if A cood geet ochts ti eat, — if there was a mael o meat ti be bocht.(3) Fif. 1825 Jam.:
Gie them mealsmore, they'll be poor. The term is applied to one who is given to prodigality.Mry.¹ 1925:
“You'll eat the meal more”, i.e. all the eatable stuff in the house.

4. The quantity of milk given by a single cow or by a herd of cows at one milking (Cld. 1825 Jam., meal; Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.; Fif., Lth., Ayr. 1923–26 Wilson). Now only dial. in Eng.Abd. c.1760 Trans. Highl. Soc. XIV. 90:
The milking handy, pales, &c., as well as cogs are every male first cleaned from milk with cold water, then scoured with sand.Hebr. 1775 Johnson Journey 187:
A single meal of a goat is a quart.Sc. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm III. 900:
To know at once the age of milk in the dishes, one mark or score should be made with chalk on the dishes just filled, to shew that they contain the last drawn milk, or freshest meal; a second mark is made, at the same time, on the dishes containing the meal before this.Hdg. 1848 A. Somerville Autobiog. 47:
The greatest quantity of milk she gave was a driblet compared with the “jaw”, or the over-flowing “mail” of ours.Rxb. 1876 W. Brockie Confessional 186:
The cat poud oure the haill coo's mail.

II. v. To take one's meals, to eat, to feed (Uls. 1962). Rare or dial. in Eng.Fif. 1899 E. F. Heddle Marget 173:
He can wark there and sleep and meal here.