Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
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First published 1976 (SND Vol. X). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1725, 1786-1993
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WONT, adj., v., n. [wʌnt; wɪnt]
I. adj. Forms. As in Eng., wont: also wint (Gsw. 1860 J. Young Poorhouse Lays 70; Ags. 1929 Scots Mag. (May) 150; I.Sc. 1974); wunt (s.Sc. 1856 H. S. Riddell St Matthew xxvii. 15); won'd (cf. Won, v.).
1. (1) Customary, usual. Comb. wont-to-be, n., an old custom.Ags. 1794 W. Anderson Piper of Peebles 7:
An' mony wont-to-be's, nae doubt, An' customs we ken nought about.Sc. 1827 G. R. Kinloch Ballad Bk. 88:
Kissing was won'd in the warld, Whan there was but only twa.
(2) with wi: accustomed or used to, familiar with (I.Sc. 1974). Obs. in Eng. since 16th c.Ork. 1880 Dennison Sketch-Bk. 6:
Bit de coo fand a smell wi de laird's claes at sheu wus no wint wi.Sh. 1928 Manson's Sh. Almanac 186:
A'm no been wint wi a haandle ta my name.Ork. 1956 C. M. Costie Benjie's Bodle 195:
Jennie wis gettan kindo ill-set, for sheu wisno wint wae bean contered.Sh. 1993 New Shetlander Sep 22:
"I'm a whalin man" he said "an mair wint wi the harpoon than the haddock line. Some o these boys goin aboot the doors ill gaeng aff an get you a haddock or twa."
II. v. Forms. Pr.t. and inf. wint (Sh. 1899 J. Spence Folk-Lore 215); pa.t. wunt (Sc. c.1826 Jamie Douglas in Child Ballads (1956) IV. 94; Per. 1915 Wilson L. Strathearn 276); pa.p. wonted, wintit.
1. tr. To accustom, make familiar with one's surroundings. Also in U.S. Comb. weel-wintit, of pigeons (Lnk. 1958).Ayr. 1786 Burns To Maj. Logan xii.:
Ance to the Indies I were wonted.
2. intr. To be in the habit of, be used to (Ork., ‡Cai. 1974). Now rare or obs. in St. Eng.Sc. 1725 Ramsay T.-T. Misc. (1876) I. 179:
Waly, waly yon burn-side, Where I and my love wont to gae.Bwk. 1801 “Bwk. Sandie” Poems 26:
Your merry countenance, whilk wont to cheer A dowie saul.Slk. 1818 Hogg B. of Bodsbeck xvi.:
I rappit at it wi' a rap that wont to be weel kend.Ayr. 1822 H. Ainslie Pilgrimage 197:
We foreign traders wha wont to clear out without making custom house entries.Dmf. 1874 R. W. Reid Moorland Rhymes 227:
I canna look intae your een ava That wont to be dear tae me.Per. 1895 R. Ford Tayside Songs 175:
Playin' the games we wont to play.
III. n. As in Eng. Also in form wount (Bnff. c.1702 Ann. Bnff. (S.C.) I. 171).
[The v. and n. are later formations, based on wont, pa.p. of Won, v., 2.]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Wont adj., v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 8 Feb 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/wont>
