Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1971 (SND Vol. VIII).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1745-1838, 1893
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SHILL, adj.1 Also †schill. Shrill, high-pitched, of sound (Sc. 1825 Jam.). Also adv. Chiefly liter. Also in Eng. dial. Deriv. shillie, id.Sc. 1745 Scots Mag. (June) 275:
Clapt baith his wings, and craw'd right loud and shill.Ayr. 1781 Burns My Nanie, O ii.:
The westlin wind blaws loud an' shill.Per. 1802 S. Kerr Poems 55:
The cauld, shill, wind sounds thro' ilk wavin tree.Sc. 1805 The Laily Worm in Child Ballads No. 36. xiv.:
She has tane a small horn An loud and shill blue she.Slk. 1813 Hogg Queen's Wake 70:
It rang . . . Se sweitly butt and se shill.Lnk. 1816 G. Muir Minstrelsy 41:
A blirtie nicht, the win' was shillie.wm.Sc. 1838 Whistle Binkie II. 12:
The nicht is mirk, and the wind blaws schill.Abd. 1893 G. MacDonald Songs 43:
The King he blew shill in a siller whustle.
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"Shill adj.1". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 12 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/shill_adj1>
