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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.

SPROT, n.¹ Also sprott; sprut. Cf. Sprat, n.¹, Spret, n.¹. A rush, Juncus, the coarse reedy plant growing in clumps on wet ground (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Arg. 1931, sprut; ne.Sc., Ags., Per. 1971), used commonly in a very gen. sense but also specif. applied to Juncus squarrosus (Mry. 1839 G. Gordon Flora Mry. 12, sprott), Juncus sylvaticus (Mry. 1935 J. Burgess Flora Mry. 31), Juncus acutiflorus (Bwk. 1853 G. Johnston Botany E. Borders 199, Abd. 1923 J. H. Trail Flora Abd. 279). Comb. sprot-rape, a rope made of rushes. [sprɔt; wm.Sc. sprʌt]Per. 1750 Session Papers, Campbell v. Macnab (9 July 1755) Proof 19:
The Tenants pay Six Sheaves of Sprots or Rushes to the Miller of said Mill for thatching the same Mill and Mill-house.Mry. 1841 Trans. Highl. Soc. 187:
He is decidedly against the use of fern as also against green sprots or fresh turf.Abd. 1877 W. Alexander Rural Life 36:
A “brecham,” or pad of dried “sprots,” intervened between the neck of the ox and the bow.Ayr. 1883 G. McMichael Through Ayrshire 78:
All east of this is moorland, clad with bent, heath and sprotts.Arg. 1884 Crofters' Comm. Evid. IV. 3100:
They use spruts or rushes that are grown upon the ground.Bnff. 1902 Trans. Bnff. Field Club 8:
There was often added thatch of the “bog sprots.”Abd. 1951 Buchan Observer (18 Sept.):
The spinning of sprot and strae rapes.

Deriv. adjs. †sprotten, made of rushes (Abd. 1825 Jam.), sprotty, sprutty, id., rush-like; abounding in rushes (Abd. 1971).Fif. 1749 Session Papers, Black v. Thomson (1 Nov.) 11:
The Western Part is not so marshy or sprotty as the Easter Part.e.Lth. 1772 Session Papers, Charteris v. Lord Blantyre (26 Oct.) Proof 1:
It is a boggy kind of ground, and sprutty.Arg. 1794 J. Robson Agric. Arg. 12:
This sprotty coarse grass, is not easily killed by frost.