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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1974 (SND Vol. IX).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

TAUPIN, n., v. Also ta(w)pin; tappin (Per. 1898 C. Spence Poems 141). [′tɑ: pən]

I. n. 1. A long pointed downward root, of a tree or vegetable, a tap-root, esp. of a turnip (Abd. 1905 E.D.D.; ne.Sc., Ags., Per. 1972).Sc. 1869 J. C. Morton Cycl. Agric. II. 1013:
It has few taupins or rootlets, and comes out of the ground clean and free from earth.Per. 1871 Per. Constitutional (18 Sept.):
They [sea-tangle] are lang things just like taupins.Ags. 1886 Brechin Advert. (26 Oct.) 3:
Their neeps is juist twarthree green blades wi' tawpins hardly as thick's yer thoom.Abd. 1952 Huntly Express (8 Feb.):
Many farmers and house-holders dug out the spruce and fir roots of felled trees, split them up into smaller pieces which they called taupins, and put them in a drying shed.

2. Fig.: a long, thin person.Abd. 1905 E.D.D.:
Sic a lang taupin o' a lassie, or o' a loon.

II. v. To strike off the tap-root of a plant, esp. a turnip (Abd. 1972). Agent n. taupiner, tap(i)ner, a curved knife with a wooden handle and a hooked tip with which turnips are pulled out of the ground and topped and tailed (ne.Sc., Ags. 1931 Abd. Press and Jnl. (15 Jan.); ne.Sc., Ags. 1972) [′tɑp(ɪ)nər].Abd. 1946 J. C. Milne Orra Loon 9:
I winna fling ma tapner doon and sweir I'll hae ma fee.Ags. 1959 People's Jnl. (16 May):
Get haud o' anither tapner and tak' this loon oot wi' ye tae the neep-puin'.