Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1724, 1785-1943
[0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,0,0,0,0,0]
STUMPIE, n. Also stumpy. Freq. used quasi-prop.n. as a nickname.
1. The part of a limb left after partial amputation (Sc. 1808 Jam.; Kcb. 1971).
2. The stump or root of a decayed and broken tooth.Sc. 1724 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) I. 105:
While frae her jaws the slaver flow'd, And ay she curs'd poor stumpy.Peb. 1805 J. Nicol Poems I. 28:
Till, stap! — the brass her ae tooth taks, An' crash! — clean through gaed stumpie.
3. The stump of a quill-pen, esp. one that has been much sharpened.Ayr. 1785 Burns 2nd Ep. J. Lapraik vi.:
Sae I gat paper in a blink, An' down gaed stumpie in the ink.Rxb. 1821 A. Scott Poems 6:
Though envy wear her stumpie to the gristle.Fif. 1862 St Andrews Gazette (14 Nov.):
Efter ance takin' auld stumpy doon, an' beginnin' to write.Ags. 1892 Brechin Advert. (2 Aug.) 3:
Meantime I'll lay my stumpie bye.
4. A squat-shaped bottle (Sh. 1866 Edm. Gl.).Kcb. 1797 R. Buchanan Poems 295:
While corked Stumpie's sittin' near An thraple fu' o' ale or beer.
5. A short, stocky or dumpy person (Sc. 1825 Jam.; Cai., Ags. 1971); “a little good-natured creature” (Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 441), as a nickname (Ags. 1971); a plump, sturdy young child, also in form stumpek (Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928)). Comb. stumpie-stowsie, id., gen. as a recollection of 1844 quot. (from W. Miller's Wee Willie Winkie).Slk. 1831 Fraser's Mag. (Feb.) 43:
Sic a dumpy, A moorland Caledonian stumpy.wm.Sc. 1844 Songs for Nursery 10:
A wee stumpie stousie, That canna rin his lane.Sc. 1865 R. W. Buchanan Inverburn (1882) 110:
As plump as ever cuddled mother's breast, A tiny stumpie-stowsie clutch'd with pride.Lth. 1866 J. Smith Merry Bridal 7:
Wi' meal-cogs an' kail-cogs For stumpies when they cam'.Bnff. 1888 in J. S. Skinner Logie Collection 95:
Just like my mither's bake langsyne, When I was but a stumpie, O.Ayr. 1912 G. Cunningham Verse 70:
Steerin' wee stumpies o' weans.Sc. 1943 J. Bridie Mr Bolfry i.:
A wee wee fellow with the finest set of whiskers that ever you saw and his name was wee Stumpie Stowsie.
You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Stumpie n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 6 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/stumpie>
