November 2007

Notable and Quotable: Robert Louis Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson, born November 13, 1850, wrote dozens of verses, short stories, and novels before his death at age 44. The author of Treasure Island was himself a treasure trove of terms for lexicographers seeking examples of word senses in context; many of the 171 places he is quoted in the Unabridged Dictionary highlight terms that are archaic, dialectal, chiefly Scottish . . . or some combination.

Interested in finding words from a favorite author in the dictionary? It's easy. Select either the Unabridged or the Collegiate as a reference source, and click on Advanced Search. Type the last name of the author in the Author field, and click Search.

bike noun (chiefly Scotland) : a crowd or swarm of people
"the busy bike of the city"

bitter adverb (dialect England) : extremely, very
"this drug is wanted bitter bad, sir"

blink noun (chiefly Scotland) : glimpse, glance
"a view on a bit of empty road, houses, and a blink of sea"

busk verb (chiefly Britain) : to make ready : prepare
"they're busking the Covenant for sea"

charge verb (archaic) : to place as a load
" . . . directing the servants . . . to charge the Saratoga trunk upon the dickey"

ding verb (dialect) : to get the better of : surpass, overcome
"we'll ding the Campbells yet in their own town"

dispart verb (archaic) : to put or force apart : separate, divide
"what face is this . . . peering through the disparted branches?"

dozened adjective (chiefly Scotland) : stupefied
"dozened with drink"

gowl verb (dialect Britain) : howl, yell
"wind gowls in the chimney"

heather cat adjective (Scotland) : vagabond, rover
"here today and gone tomorrow — a fair heather cat"

his adjective (archaic) : 's -- used after a noun or noun phrase in place of the possessive ending 's
"Billy Bones, his fancy"

keek noun (chiefly Scotland) : peep, look
"take another keek at the redcoats"

kenning noun (chiefly Scotland) : a perceptible but small amount : little
"his father was . . . a kenning on the wrong side of the law"

kyte noun (chiefly Scotland) : stomach, belly
"sit down and fill your kyte"

lippen verb (chiefly Scotland) : to have faith or trust : trust, rely, confide -- usually used with to
"too merry a lass at times to lippen to entirely"

main adverb (now dialect) : very, extremely
"it was main hot"

mettle adjective (archaic Scotland) : spirited, mettlesome
"an honest and a mettle gentleman"

mind verb (chiefly dialect) : to recall and bear in mind : have in mind : remember
"I minded how easy her delicacy had been startled"

mop noun (archaic) : grimace, face
"the mops and mows of the old witch"

ought verb (chiefly Scotland) : possess
"there's naebody but you and me that ought the name"

part noun (archaic) : hand
"on the other part, I judged that I might lose nearly as much"

pith noun (archaic) : vigor, energy, strength
"took the pith out of my legs"

poison adjective (chiefly dialect) : extremely, very
"is a poison bad world"

rout verb (dialect, chiefly Britain) : to shout out : roar
"have no inclination . . . to rout out my name to the countryside"

seek verb (archaic) : to be at a loss to know or act
"for the details of our itinerary, I am all to seek"

spring noun (chiefly Scotland) : a lively tune or dance
"took the pipes, and played a little spring"

unfriend noun (chiefly Scotland) : one that is not a friend : enemy
"I am no unfriend to plainness"

upon preposition (chiefly Scotland) : to
"was married . . . upon my Uncle Robin"

waif adjective (chiefly Scotland) : circulating, current -- used of a report or rumor
"heard a waif word . . . that you were a hard man to drive"

well-willing adjective (archaic) : favorably or kindly disposed : benevolent, loyal
"ruggedly faithful and well-willing to their friends"

wite noun (chiefly Scotland) : responsibility for a fault or misfortune
"now it's done . . . and who's to bear the wite of it"

wuther verb (dialect England) : to blow with a dull roaring sound
"from time to time the wind wuthered in the chimney at his back"