| Scottish Word | Phonetic | Meaning | Word in Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Word | Phonetic | Meaning | Word in Context |
| ba | baa | baw | bɑ | ball football etc. | in context |
| ba-bag | bawbag | scrotum, often used as a term in refernce to any insufferable buffoon | in context | |
| babbity bowster | ˈbabətɪˈbʌustər | children's singing game, dance | |
| babby | baby | ||
| baccie | bakkie | ˈbakɪ | tobacco | in context |
| bachle | bauchle | ˈbaxl | old, worn or twisted shoe, a person of no account | in context |
| back | back | ||
| back-end | autumn | ||
| backarts, backwarts | backwards | in context | |
| backarties | to go backwards, to reverse | in context | |
| backet | bakət | bucket | in context |
| back-faulds | fields behind the farmhouse | ||
| backgroond | background | in context | |
| backie | baki | a piggy back ride, carry one on one's back or on the back of a bicycle | |
| backie | bawkie | bɑkɪ | bat | in context |
| backin | bakɪn | directions on a letter | |
| backit | backed | ||
| backlins | backwards | ||
| backlins-comin | coming back | ||
| backspang | reversing a bargain or agreement | ||
| back-yett | gate at the back | ||
| ba-cod | scrotum | ||
| bad | baud | bɑd | bad, unwell | |
| badjin | badyin | bɑd | bad one, a bad person: from Rank Badjin the oulaw foe of Lobey Dosser the Sherriff of Calton Creek (on his two legged horse) created by the late Bud Neil famous cartoonist of Glasgow. |
in context |
| badderlock | edible seaweed | ||
| baddock | young of the coalfish | ||
| bade | baud | bed | endured, fared, stayed, asked | in context |
| badrons | baudrons | affectionate name for a cat, pet cat | in context | |
| baff | a blow - esp with something soft | ||
| baffie | baffies | comfy slippers | in context | |
| baggie | baigie | a Swedish purple topped turnip (root vegetable) | in context | |
| baggie | fat belly, also a type of fat minow | in context | |
| baggie-mennen | a kind of large minow | ||
| baggity | greedy | ||
| bags | bagpipes | bagpipes - better than drums to stir the warlike blood of soldiers in battle | ||
| bagpippean | things to do with the nature of bagpipes (made up) | in context | |
| bahoochie | bahookie | bahootie | bahouchie | behouchie | bəˈhuxı | bottom, backside (applied to children) | in context |
| bahuif | chest with arched lid | ||
| baible | drink clumsily | ||
| baignet | bayonet | ||
| baillie | magistrate of a Scots burgh | ||
| bain | bane | ˈben | bone | in context |
| baird | bard | ||
| bairge | barge | ||
| baring | clearing top soil and loose rocks or strata (quarrying) | in context | |
| bairn | a child, baby | in context | |
| bairn | bairnie | little child, small baby | in context | |
| bairnheid | childhood | ||
| bairn | ˈbern | child, baby | in context |
| we’re a’ Jock Tamson’s bairns | we're all equal at the end of the day | ||
| bairntime | brood of children | ||
| baisies | ˈbezɪz | rounders | |
| baist | to beat, strike | ||
| baith | beθ | both | in context |
| bak | byaak | bek | bake | |
| bakes | biscuits | ||
| bakken | bakkit | baked | ||
| balderrie | ˈbɛlderɪ | wild orchid | |
| ballant | ballad | ||
| go ballistic | become extemely angry | in context | |
| balloch | bealach | baləx | narrow mountain pass | |
| ballop | opening in trousers | ||
| balou | baloo | balu | lullaby | |
| bam | an idiot, a fool | in context | |
| bampot | a bigger idiot, a fool | in context | |
| bamstick | a destructive idiot, a fool | in context | |
| ban | swear | ||
| bananae | banana | ||
| band | baun | baund | bound | ||
| bandie | stickleback | ||
| bandit | secure or strengthen with metal bands | in context | |
| bandit | a mild insult for a person | ||
| bandster | banster | binder, one who binds sheaves after reapers | in context | |
| bang | baŋ | an effort, a blow, a large number, to thump | |
| banis | beneis | banish | ||
| banjie | a rowdy mob | ||
| bannet | bunnet | bonnet, flat cloth cap | in context | |
| bannock | bonnok | a round flat cake made on a girdle | in context | |
| bannock nicht | Shrove Tuesday | ||
| banshee | ˈbanˈʃi | a femal spirit whose wail was thought to forecast one's death | in context |
| banstickle | stickleback | ||
| baombe | the numeral five - from a counting rhyme. | ||
| bap | bread roll | ||
| bapteese | bapteise | baptise | ||
| bar | baur | bar of wood | ||
| barbulyie | barˈbølji | confuse, besmear | |
| bard | a poet - if 'The Bard' then it's Robert Burns, or perhaps sometimes just possibly William Shakespeare | in context | |
| bardach | ˈbardəx | stout, fearless | |
| bardy | scolding | ||
| bare | ber | ber | bare | |
| barefit | barefut | barefooted | ||
| barket | barkit | barked, tanned - of leather, dirty, encrusted | in context | |
| barley-brie | barlɪˈbri | whisky | |
| barm | yeast | ||
| barn-yaird | stackyard | ||
| barrae | barra | borra | borrie | barrie | barrow | in context | |
| barrae-on | barrie-oan | barry-on | hurry onward with intent, flail forward, get on with it | barrie-oan | |
| barrie | fine, excellent, big and smart in appearance | ||
| bartie | the Devil | ||
| bash | baʃ | a heavy blow so as to smash, a dint | in context |
| on the bash | a heavy drinking bout, on a heavy drinking spree | in context | |
| baslar | a dagger | ||
| bass | a mat of fibre, coarse straw, rushes, etc. doormat | ||
| bastardin | devilish | ||
| bass cock | puffin | ||
| bastart | bystart | bastard | ||
| batch | a crew, a number | ||
| bather | bother | ||
| batie | bawtie | plump, portly | ||
| battard | a kind of small cannon | in context | |
| batters | book cover, to paste | ||
| batts | the botts; the colic | ||
| baubee | bawbee | ˈbɑˈbi | old Scots sixpenny copper coin = old UK halfpenny | in context |
| bauch | ˈbɑx | poor, sorry, blows from a cudgel as opposed to a sharp blade | |
| bauchle | bachle | bauchil | ˈbɑxl | denounce, cause trouble or harm, shamble about, old shoe | |
| bauckie-bird | bauken | the bat | ||
| baudkin | a richly embroidered cloth | ||
| bauk | balk, wooden beam, unploughed ridge in a ploughed field | ||
| bauk-hicht | ˈbɑkhɪxt | as high as the rafters | |
| baukie | razor bill, the black guillemot | ||
| bauld | bold, fierce - of animals | ||
| a bauld fae is better than a couardly freend | a bold foe is better than a cowardly friend | ||
| baumy | balmy | ||
| baur | joke, bar | ||
| baurber | barber | ||
| baurley | baurlie | barley | ||
| bausy | ˈbɑsɪ | large, fat, coarse | |
| bawcan | ghost, hobgoblin | ||
| baurrel | barrel | ||
| bawdrons | bawd | ˈbɑd | a hare | in context |
| bawheid | fool, idiot | in context | |
| bawlin | crying loudly | in context | |
| bawk | a field path | ||
| bawsant | white-streaked on hair or face, piebald of a horse | ||
| bawtie | bawty | generic affectionate name for a dog | in context | |
| bawties | rabbit, hare | ||
| baxtarie | the art of baking | in context | |
| baxter | baker | in context | |
| be-north | to the northward of | ||
| be-south | to the southward of | ||
| beadle | church officer | ||
| beal | bele | fester, swell with rage, fill with rancour | ||
| bealin | festering, raging | in context | |
| beamin | blushing | ||
| beapin | beepin | pulsing with pain or soreness from mild to medium | ||
| bear | barley | ||
| beard | baird | beard | ||
| beardie | bairdi | ˈbirdɪ | someone with a beard, rubbing of a mans rough chin against another's cheek or chin | in context |
| beardie lotchie | stone loach | ||
| beast | beste | beist | farm animals, any animal | ||
| beastie | insect, a small animal | in context | |
| beat | beat | ||
| beat | bait | beaten | ||
| beb | bɛb | drink drunkenly | |
| beck | curtsey | ||
| become | becum | become | ||
| bed | flat base for construction, foundation | ||
| bedrite | bɪˈdrəit | foul with excrement or dirt | |
| bedriten | dirty | in context | |
| bee baw babbery | kissing game | ||
| beef | any butchers meat | ||
| beek | beik | bik | warm oneself, bask | |
| been | beam | ||
| beenge | bindʒ | binge | |
| beet | biet | amend, lessen, relieve - of distress need etc | ||
| beezer | a thing better or worse than usual, exclamation to same effect | in context | |
| beffan | beffin | big stout stupid person | ||
| begeck | begeik | bɪˈgɛk | deceive, disappoint, trick | |
| begesserant | sparkling | ||
| beglamour | bewitch | in context | |
| begoud | begude | began | ||
| begowk | begeck | bɪˈgʌuk | befool, deceive, stupify | |
| begoyt | begyte | foolish, mad | ||
| begrutten | tearstained | ||
| beguess | at random | in context | |
| behauden | obliged, behold, suspend action | ||
| beheid | behead | ||
| behuve | behuive | behove | ||
| beil | biel | beel | bield | go off, suppurate, fester with rage | ||
| bein | being | in context | |
| belang | belong | ||
| beld | baul | bauld | bald | in context | |
| belike | probably, probably, likely | ||
| bellaes | bellas | bellies | ˈbɛlɪz | bellows | |
| bellibucht | ˈbɛlɪbʌxt | a hollow in a hill running crossways | |
| bellum | ˈbɛlʌm | assault. | |
| belly | stomach | in context | |
| belli-hooin | ˈbɛlɪˈhuɪn | riotousness | |
| bellox | ˈbɑloks | testicles | |
| Beltane | Mayday | ||
| belter | a heavy blow, an awsome experience | in context | |
| beltin | beating | in context | |
| belyve | ˈbəˈlaɪv | soon, quickly, at once | |
| Ben | mountain (the bigger ones) | in context | |
| ben | in or towards the inner part or towards the workings (of a mine) | ||
| ben the hoose | in or towards the inner part or in the best room | in context | |
| bend | a band, sash | ||
| beneth | beneath | ||
| benicht | bɪnɪxt | benighted | |
| benmaist | innermost, furthest | ||
| benorth | north of | ||
| bensell | ′bɛnsl | force, a strong inclination, vigorous action. | in context |
| bent | common hair-grass | ||
| bere | barley | ||
| bere | to behave (in older usage pre 1700) | in context | |
| berk | ˈbɛrk | bark | |
| berm | ferment | ||
| bern | barn | ||
| Berrick | Berwick | ||
| berry | barrie | barry | flail, to thresh corn or thrash a child, | ||
| besaunt | canonise | ||
| beseek | beseik | beseech | ||
| besmerten | besmairten | smarten up, tidy up | ||
| besom | bisom | bizzom | bussom | ˈbɪzəm | a broom, a hussy | in context |
| best | best | ||
| best-aucht | bɛstɑxt | the best thing of a kind that one possesses - claimed | |
| bestmaid | bridesmaid | ||
| beswackit | beswakkit | bɪˈswakɪt | soaked, drenched | in context |
| betak | hand over | ||
| beteach | to entrust | ||
| bethankit | grace after meat | ||
| betterfaured | better featured | ||
| betterlike | better looking | ||
| betterment | improvement | ||
| beuch | bough | ||
| bewaur | beware | ||
| bewave | lay in wait | ||
| beyont | above, more than, yonder | ||
| bi fegs | by faith, truly | ||
| bick | bitch | ||
| bicker | skirmish | ||
| bicker | bɪkr | a wooden cup | |
| bicker | a short run | ||
| bicker | to flow swiftly and with a slight noise | ||
| bickerin | noisy contention | ||
| bickering | hurrying | ||
| bid | to bid, to ask | ||
| bidden | biddin | ˈbɪdn | endured, stayed, required to, invite | |
| bide | byde | await, endure, dwell, stay | in context | |
| bide a wee | stay a while | ||
| bidie-in | bɪdiˈɪn | a partner who has moved in to stay but without getting married | in context |
| biel | beild | bild | protection, comfort, shelter | |
| bien | bene | in good condition, well stocked | ||
| big | bigg | build, construct, make a home, a person of consequence | ||
| biggen | built, swollen, pregnant | ||
| biggin | building, a cluster of cottages | in context | |
| biggit | built | in context | |
| biggen | swell | ||
| bigyin | big one, person of note or consequence, also the nickname for Billy Connolly the comedian, musician, actor and artist. | in context | |
| bike | nest of wild bees or wasps, unexpected luck | ||
| bile | byle | beyle | bəil | boil | in context |
| bilin | byelin | boiling, or a quantity of vegetables enough for a boiling | in context | |
| biler | bəilər | boiler | in context |
| bill | the bull | ||
| billibue | a hullabaloo | ||
| billie | billy | bɪlɪ | companion, friend, lover | |
| bilsh | speak angrily and loudly | ||
| bin | bɪn | been | in context |
| bing | ˈbɪŋ | heap, waste heap | |
| Bingrie | Ballingry | ||
| bink | bank | shelf by a sink or fire | ||
| binna | don't be, unless, except, be not (negative of to be) | ||
| binnd | bin | bind, alliance | ||
| binner | move noisily | ||
| birdie | burdie | a small bird, a golfing term | in context | |
| birk | bɪrk | birch, a small wood of birch trees, adj. made of birch | in context |
| birk | bɪrk | move energetically, a stout well built boy | in context |
| birken | birchen | ||
| birkenshaw | birch wood | ||
| birkie | lively young fellow, spirited | ||
| birk knowe | bɪrknʌu | knoll covered in birches | |
| birl | burl | turn, spin | in context | |
| birlin | spinning | ||
| birr | bir | force, energy, enthusiasm, whirring sound | ||
| birse | birs | birz | bʌrz | bruise, to push bustle as in a crowd | in context |
| birse | birss | burs | bristles, shaft of bristles, hackles | in context | |
| his birse's up | angry | in context | |
| birsie | hairy, stubbly, hot tempered | in context | |
| birsle | birsel | birstle | birssle | brizzle | scorch, broil | in context | |
| birth | berth | ||
| birstle | bustle | ||
| birze | to press, bruise | ||
| biss | bizz | bustle, flurry, hissing noise | ||
| bit | piece of food, a mouthful, a small part | in context | |
| by-bit | a snack between meals | in context | |
| bittie | fragmented, a short distance or time, a fragment | in context | |
| bit | a potato picker's part of the length of a drill to pick from, children got half a bit, usually next to their mum who often ended up picking most of their half bit too | ||
| canni get oot o the bit | stuck, can't make any progress - from the olden days when the potato digger comes and goes and you're not finished picking your bit and you're not keeping up - dismissal looms | ||
| aff the bit | off the mark, wrong | ||
| nae a bit | expressing incredulity | ||
| bit | but | ||
| bitch-fou | completely drunk | ||
| bizz | a flurry, buzz | in context | |
| bizzard | ˈbɪzərd | the buzzard | |
| blab | drink excessively, gossip, blister | ||
| blabber | babble | ||
| black dooker | cormorant | ||
| black frost | icy without rime or snow - dangerous slippiness | ||
| black-nebbit | black-beaked | ||
| blacken my door | darken my door, unwelcome | ||
| blad | blade, a leaf, a portfolio | ||
| blae | blue grey, livid | ||
| blae-bunnet | blue tit | ||
| blaff | blast, bang | ||
| blaiken | blakyn | become pale | ||
| blain | blane | scar from a wound, weal, bare patch in a crop | ||
| blairt | outburst | ||
| blaister | to blow with violence | ||
| blash | splash | ||
| blashie | windy, rainy | ||
| blaster bleester | blastərˈblistər | wind blowing in blasts | |
| blastie | grumpy unmanageable child or animal | ||
| blate | bashful, shy | ||
| blatter | talk loud and fast, rattle, beat heavily | ||
| blaud | spoil by mishandling | ||
| blaud | a large quantity, strip or lump | ||
| blaw | blaa | bla | blɑ | blowing, to blow, to brag | in context |
| blaw | blossom | ||
| blaw oot | puncture | in context | |
| bleach | strike, beat | ||
| bleb | tipple, to sip | ||
| bleck | leather blacking, smut | ||
| bleckie | blackbird | ||
| bleer | make the eyes water, blear the vision | ||
| bleize | bleaze | bleeze | bliz | blaze, fire brand, beacon fire | in context |
| blellum | a babbler; a railer, a blusterer | ||
| blenk | a moment, blink, to shine, glimmer, to wink | ||
| blenker | blinker | eye-lash | ||
| blether | bleather | talk foolishly, idle talk, blather | in context | |
| blether | bladder | ||
| bletherin | gossiping, talking a lot | in context | |
| bletherskite | ˈblɛðərˈskəit | silly talker, one who talks too much | |
| blib | blɪn | weak, watery | in context |
| blin | blɪn | blind | in context |
| blin brose | brose without the butter | ||
| blin drift | sharp blinding driving snow | ||
| blin' oors | hours of darkness | ||
| blink | a glance | ||
| blinkers | eyes | ||
| blinnd | blin' | blind | ||
| blin fou | very very drunk | ||
| blinter | blenter | boisterous gusty wind | in context | |
| blinterer | short sighted person | ||
| blinterin | glimmering, short sighted | ||
| blinterin eed | weak eyed | ||
| blirt | weep, burst into tears | ||
| bliss | bless | ||
| blitter | the snipe, thin watery mess | in context | |
| blocher | coughing with a gurgling noise | ||
| blomaist | blowmaist | lowest | ||
| bloust | blost | blʌust | a boast | |
| blouster | ˈblʌustər | a violent wind with gusts | |
| blowder | blowther | ˈblʌudər | a sudden gust of wind | in context |
| blowst | brag, boast | ||
| bluffert | bliffert | a squall of wind | ||
| bluid | blude | blid | blud | bleed, blood | in context |
| bluidshed | bloodshot | ||
| bluim | blume | blim | to bloom | ||
| bluiter | blooter | bluter | obliterate, strike excessively hard | in context | |
| blunner | blunder | ||
| bluntie | a stupid person, sniveller | ||
| blybe | large quantity of spirits | ||
| blypes | blithe | shreds of skin | ||
| boak | bock | boke | bouk | bowk | bok | retch, vomit | in context |
| gi the dry boke | cause given to make one retch | in context | |
| boakie | bogie | a piece of hard matter in the nose or freshly removed, a snot picked, or ready for picking from the nose | in context | |
| boatie | small boat | ||
| a bob | one shilling = 12 copper pennies = 5 New Pence Decimal | ||
| twa bob | two shillings = 24 copper pennies = 10 New Pence Decimal | in context | |
| ten bob note | a ten shilling note = 120 copper old money pennies = 50 New Pence coin Decimal. The one pound note was twice that, worth 20 shillings. The replacement Scottish Decimal pound note (worth 100 New Pence) was still in circulation and legal (but rare to find) in Scotland as of 2016 well after English decimal pound notes had ceased to exist as legal tender. | ||
| bobbed | curtsied | ||
| bobbin-qwaw | quaking bog, quagmire | in context | |
| bocht | boucht | ˈboxt | bought | in context |
| bodach | ˈboˈdəx | old man, small insignificant person (contemptuously) | |
| boddam | boddom | bottom | ||
| boddam breadth | gap required for a person to fit to sit | ||
| boddle | bodle | old Scots copper 2p coin = sixth of an old UK penny - a coin of insignificant worth | in context | |
| bode | look for, portend | ||
| boden | supplied with kit for fighting in a war | ||
| weel bodenned | well supplied, the aim of arms dealers everywhere, the bastards | ||
| bodie | boddy | bothie | buddy | ˈbodɪ | a human being, person, (some) one | in context |
| a bodie | someone | ||
| nae bodie | nobody | in context | |
| bodkin | tailor's needle | ||
| boggle | eyes - bulge with fear, pain or interest | in context | |
| bogie | shout to cancel the game and start again | ||
| bogle | bogle | boggil | ugly or terrifying ghost, a scarecrow, a goblin | in context | |
| bogly | an area frequented by goblins and their pals | ||
| bogshaivelt | bogˈʃevlt | distort | |
| bojoed | fooled out of something, swindled | in context | |
| bole | bolie hole | recess in the wall, small cupboard in the wall | ||
| boll | bow | dry weight, amount or capacity of meal which is about 140lbs = 63.5kg. But the value of the term varies on what the commodity measured is and where you ask. | ||
| bonnaccord | friendly agreement | ||
| bonailie | bonˈelɪ | a toast to a departing friend | |
| bone | bon | pester for moneys due | |
| bonie | bonnie | bonny | nice looking, pretty, handsome | in context | |
| bonilie | prettily | ||
| bonspiel | bonspeil | ˈbonˈspil | a large scale match or contest - curling | |
| bonxie | ˈbɑnksi | Great Skua (Stercorarius skua) | in context |
| boo | bou | bend in respect, bow, curve | ||
| bool | boo | bul | a rounded object, a bowling ball, a glass marble, a round sweet, a glass eye | in context |
| a bool in the mou | speaking in an affected way | ||
| bool | a curve, curved handle, rounded | ||
| boolder | boulder | in context | |
| boolie backit | bool backed | hump backed | ||
| boolie leggit | bow legged | ||
| boond | bound, boundary | in context | |
| boorach | bourach | ˈburəx | an untidy heap, unruly crowd, mess or grub about | in context |
| boord | board | ||
| boost | shoo off | ||
| boot | buit | a boot, an assistance | ||
| boozin | ˈbuzən | drinking an excessive (usually) amount of alcohol | in context |
| tae boot | tae buit | teˈbut | in addition to the agreed deal or prize, thrown in | in context |
| bore | a chink, hole | ||
| borrae | borra | borrow | ||
| bosie | embrace, a bosom | ||
| boss | hollow, concave, lacking means or brains | ||
| bossie | wooden basin | ||
| bothan | ˈboθən | unlicenced drinking bothie - the pub shack built at same time as the whisky still along with the collection of hut shelters (sheilings) up on the summer hill-pasture - what a party - except I believe it was just women and children that manned the sheilings all summer. | |
| botherer | an annoyance - god botherers - the ones who give religion a bad name | ||
| bothie | bothy | rough hut used temporarily by shepherds, mountaineers and hillwalkers see the Mountain Bothies Association mountainbothies.org.uk | ||
| bottle | ˈboʔl | bottle | |
| bou | boo | bow, bend | ||
| bou-backit | hump-backed | ||
| boucht | bowcht | bucht | bʌxt | sheepfold | |
| boud | boo'd |bou'd | bowed, bent | ||
| bouer | booer | bower | ||
| bouff | bowf | dog wowf, contemptuous term for a big person | ||
| bouk | the human torso, bulk, a carcass, a buck | in context | |
| boukit | bulky, big built, a stout fellow | in context | |
| boun | boune | To make ready, to prepare, ready to start | in context | |
| bourie | burrae | a burrow, lair | in context | |
| muckle boukit | heavily built, an extremely heavy fellow | in context | |
| Bourshaa | Bowershall | ||
| bouls | bools | The game of bowls or marbles | ||
| bourtree | boortree | elder tree | ||
| bow't | bent | ||
| bow-hough'd | bandy-thighed | ||
| bow-kail | cabbage | ||
| bowder | a heavy squall | ||
| bowe | bow (weapon), arch | ||
| bowf | bark, also to smell awful | in context | |
| bowl | bowel | bowl | ||
| bowlie | bow-legged | ||
| bowlt | bent | ||
| bowsie | ˈbʌusɪ | a hump, a bogeyman, fat, puffed up, corpulant | in context |
| bowster | bolster | double length pillow, a bearing post for support - a fit Nordic looking girl I knew from Orkney insisted we slept with a bolster between us for the first night, said it was a tradition, it was worth it - looking back I'm surprised I owned a bolster | ||
| bowt | bolt | ||
| brabblach | too small to be worth anything | ||
| brae | slope, hill | in context | |
| brae-head | top of the slope | ||
| braid | broad | ||
| braiggle | useless and unsafe thing due to age or condition | ||
| braik | a harrow | ||
| brainwode | ˈbrenˈwød | mad, furious | in context |
| brainsh | brainch | branch | ||
| brainyell | outburst, uproar | ||
| braird | first sproutings | ||
| braisant | brazen impudent | ||
| braith | braeth | breath | in context | |
| brak | brek | break, broken | in context | |
| brak | brek | brake | in context | |
| brakfast | brakefast | brakwast | breakfast | in context | |
| brammle | bramble | blackberry | ||
| brander | a grid iron, gid or grate | in context | |
| branderin | scaffolding | ||
| brang | brought | ||
| brank | behave without restraint, strut | ||
| branks | halter with wooden side bits | ||
| brash | short severe illness, burst of rain, an attack | ||
| brast | burst | ||
| brat | ragged garment, pinafore | ||
| brats | small pieces, unruly children | ||
| brattle | loud clatter, sudden assault, short rush, sudden blast of wind | ||
| braw | bra | brɑ | fine, good, well done, handsome, splendid | in context |
| brawlie | finely, elegantly, splendidly | ||
| brawlike | fine | ||
| brawlins | berries of the cowberry or cranberry | ||
| braxie, braxy | ˈbraksɪ | intestinal sheep's disease | |
| braxies | sheep that have died of braxie | ||
| breard | brerd | the top surface | ||
| breastit | sprang forward | ||
| brecham | horse collar | ||
| brechan | bracken | ||
| breckens | bracken | ||
| bree | brie | the water left when something has been boiled; stock, gravy | in context | |
| bree | consequences, the brunt, eyebrow | ||
| breeks | breiks | briks | a bag for the bum and tubes for the legs - trousers - not a kilt | in context |
| breekums | very short trousers | ||
| breem | broom plants | ||
| breenge | breinge | brindʒ | lunge, rush forward recklessly, barge | |
| breer | breer | brier | ||
| hing by the breers | a precarious position | ||
| breeshle | breeshle | breeshlin | ˈbriʃl | to come on in a hurry, A violent attack in whatever way | in context |
| breest | breist | brist | breast | |
| breid | breed | brid | bread | in context |
| brent | smooth, steep, spring forward | in context | |
| bress | brass | ||
| brew | broo | brou | liquid, beer, tea | in context | |
| brewster | brewer | ||
| bricht | brɪxt | bright | in context |
| brickle | brittle | ||
| bridie | sausage meat wrapped in a folded over circular pastry - baked | in context | |
| bridle | wedding | ||
| brief | brif | writ | |
| brierie | covered in briars | ||
| Stourie, stouchie, gaudie brierie! Dinging a' things tapsalteerie | bustling, fussing, prankish, prickly! Knocking all things up and over in the air | ||
| brig | bridge | ||
| brig o Dee | Bridge of Dee | ||
| brinkie | comely person | ||
| briskie | chaffinch | ||
| brither | ˈbrɪðər | brother | in context |
| broch | burgh, sone built circular towet from prehistory with thick hollow walls | ||
| The Broch | Fraserburgh | ||
| Brochheid | ˈbroxhid | Burghhead [ˈbɪrkhɛd] | |
| brocht | broxt | brought | in context |
| brochten | brought | ||
| Brochtoun | broxtun | Broughtown | |
| brock | badger, broken/small pieces of rubbish, leftovers | in context | |
| brockit | having black and white spots or stripes | ||
| brod | something with a point, goad, braddle etc, board, cover | ||
| brog | spike, pierce | ||
| brogart | drink of ale and honey | ||
| broggle | bungle | ||
| brogue | a trick, a type of heavy leather shoe with distinctive pierced pattern which I'm fond of myself but the one's worth buying are expensive | ||
| brollie | ˈbrolɪ | umbrella | in context |
| broo | brou | bru | forehead, brow of a hill, water in which something has been boiled, eyebrow | in context |
| brooses | wedding races from the church to the home of the bride | ||
| brose | ˈbros | instant oatmeal dish of boiling water added to oatmeal with some salt and butter - the course oatmeal was my preference - I once added vegetables which I hated but my flatmates lapped it up when they came in from playing football | in context |
| fat brose | ˈfaʔˈbros | brose made with hot stock or fat instead of water. | |
| brosie | inflated, stout, bloated, overfed | in context | |
| broth | thick winter soup | ||
| brouk | brook | make dirty with soot | ||
| broun | broon | brown | in context | |
| brousle | broosle | crush | ||
| brow | ˈbrʌu | forehead | in context |
| browden | ˈbrʌudən | embroidered, extremely fond of, pamper | |
| brownie | brounie | broonie | household sprite or spirit who would perform work if treated well but mischeivious and likely to cause trouble | in context | |
| bruckle | brukill | ˈbrʌkl | brittle, easily broken, morally weak | in context |
| brucklie | ′brʌklɪ̢ | in a weak state, in a brittle state or manner | in context |
| bruim | brume | brum | Scots broom a leguminous shrub - often accompanied on the hillsides, on golf courses, and on dunes by whins (the spiky one leguminous shrub), both with riots of yellow flowers, and both great for wildlife, fodder and improvement of the soil | |
| bruind | flare, a burning piece of wood, brand, to emit sparks | ||
| bruit | breet | brøt | brute | |
| brulyie | brulzie | broil, brawl, quarrel | ||
| brung | brought | ||
| brunstane | brimstone | ||
| brunt | burned burnt - of a curling stone illegally touched and no longer counts, keen, ardent | ||
| Brunteelan | Brunteilan | Burntisland | ||
| brust | burst | ||
| bruntie | blacksmith | ||
| brush | brusche | brʌs | a violent impetus | |
| bubbliejock | bubbly jock | turkey (male) | in context | |
| bucht | sheep pen, bay | ||
| bucker | To fuss; to move or work aimlessly and awkwardly, yet with much fuss | in context | |
| bucket | pail | ||
| tak a bucket | consume a large quantity of alcohol | ||
| Buckhyne | Buckhine | Buckhaven | ||
| buckie | fruit of the wild rose, the whelk, oversmart youngster | ||
| buckle | a pretended wrestle or struggle, in vogue, in very common use – based on the notorious bitter poker playing pirate captain Buckle Glamshach McDirkless – a character invented by me only a few days ago (2020). | in context | |
| buckle-horned | obstinate | ||
| bucksturdie | ˈbʌkˈstʌrdɪ | obstinate | in context |
| bud | a bribe | ||
| buff | puff out, strike with suft substance, dull soporific sound | ||
| buffits | mumps | ||
| bughtin | folding | ||
| buik | beuk | book, the body | in context | |
| beuk-lare | ˈbukler | book learning, half baked knowledge | |
| buird | burd | table, board for meal or a corpse | ||
| buirdlie | burdly | stalwart | ||
| buirdly | stalwart, rough | ||
| buit | bute | bit | boot, help, remedy | ||
| bul | bull | kind of fish | ||
| bulfie | fatter than average person, well built and padded | in context | |
| buller | bulder | a bubble, whirlpool, a roar, Irrelevant or blustering talk | in context | |
| bullie | bʌlɪ | bullfinch | |
| bum | drone, go on vigorously | ||
| bum | bottom, the buttocks | ||
| bum-clock | beetle | ||
| bumbaze, bambaize | ˈbʌmˈbəz | confuse, perplex | in context |
| bumbee | bumble-bee | ||
| bummel | boil up, bubble, tumble | in context | |
| bummer | bummie | bumble bee, insects that buzz, an idiot | in context | |
| bummle | hum, a wild bee | ||
| bummle | a drone, to work ineffectively | ||
| bund | bund | bound | |
| bunker | bʌnkɪr | a seat, kitchen worktop | |
| bunnel | cow parsnip | ||
| burd | bʌrd | bird | in context |
| bure | buir | bore | ||
| burn | burnie | stream, brook | in context | |
| burnewin | the blacksmith (fire on the wind) | ||
| Burns nicht | 25th January | ||
| burr-thistle | spear-thistle | ||
| bursour | bursar | in context | |
| bursten | bursen | burst | in context | |
| bushok | hedge sparrow | ||
| busk | with haste - to get ready, to garb, to dress up, to adorn | ||
| buss | bʌs | bush, dress | |
| bussle | bustle | ||
| but | bit | bit | but, except, outer | |
| but | without | ||
| but an ben | two roomed cottage | ||
| butch | bʌtʃ | butcher, slaughter | in context |
| butt | ridge or strip of ploughed land | ||
| buttery-lippit | smooth talking | ||
| by | bi | apart from, contrary to, out of, except | ||
| by | bi | beside, nearby | ||
| by an aboon | over and above | ||
| by an gane | by wi | completely over, done | ||
| by himsel | beside himself | ||
| by my feggs! | goodness! by my oath! | ||
| by wi't | done for, as good as | ||
| bye'attour | by an out owre | in addition to, besides | ||
| bygae | pass by | ||
| bygane | passed time in the past - period of | ||
| bygate | byway, side path, indirect way | in context | |
| bygaun | passing by | ||
| b'wye | by the way | ||
| byke | bike | an ant, wasp or bees' nest, a hive, a swarm, a crowd | in context | |
| byne | bine | bowl, washtub | ||
| byordinar | byordnar | unusual, extraordinary | ||
| byous | special | ||
| bypassit | elapsed, of time, a specific date | ||
| byre | bəir | cow shed | in context |
| byspale | wonderful | ||
| bysyn | bysin | bysint | ˈbaɪzən | a monster, a marvel | in context |
Scottish Words Glossary: B from A-Z