THE VOCABULARY OF ROBERT BURNS

Burns A C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Notes

B
ba'.ball; a ball.
bab at the bowster.a dance.
babie-clouts or baby-clouts.child's first clothes.
backet.bucket or box for removing ashes.
backet. Howe-backetbacked. Hollow-backed.
backlins-comin.coming back; returning.
back-yett.gate at the back.
bade.endured; did stay.
baggie.the belly.
baig'nets.bayonets.
bailie.the Scottish word for an alderman.
bainie.with large bones; muscular.
bairin.laying bare.
bairn.a child.
bairn-time.time of issue.
baith.both.
bakes.biscuits.
baiveridge.handsel drink; beverage.
ballats or ballants.ballads.
bamboozle.to mystify; confuse.
ban.to swear or curse.
ban.a band.
bandster.a binder of sheaves.
bane.bone.
bang.to drive; to beat.
bannet.bonnet.
bannock.a round flat cake.
bardie.diminutive of bard.
barefit.barefooted.
barket.barked.
barkin.barking.
barley-bree or barley-broo.juice of barley; whisky.
barm.yeast.
barmie.yeasty; frothy; quick-tempered.
barn-yard.stack-yard.
batch.a company; a gang.
batts.the botts; a colic.
baudrons.a cat.
bauk or bawk.a cross-beam; narrow path
dividing lands.
bauken.beam-end.
baukie-bird.the bat.
bauks.rafters.
bauld.bold.
baumy.balmy.
baws'nt.white stripe down the face as in horses.
bawtie.pet name for a dog.
be or bee. Let abee.to let be. Leave alone.
be't.be it.
bear or bere.barley.
bearded-bear.bearded barley.
beas'.cattle; sometimes vermin.
beastie.diminutive of beast.
beck.to curtsey.
beck an' boo.to curtsey and bow.
beet.to fan; to feed; to warm.
befa'.befall.
behadden.beholden.
behin or behint.behind.
belang.belong.
beld.bald.
bellum.assault; attack.
bellyfu'.bellyful.
bellys.bellows.
belyve.by and by.
ben.in.
ben-end.inner end; the parlour.
benmost.innermost.
benorth.north of.
bent.coarse grass; the bare open field.
bent.stretched.
besouth.south of.
bethanket.bethanked; full of gratitude.
beuk.a book.
bicker.a wooden dish; a short rapid race.
bickerin.hurrying; sometimes quarreling.
bid.to ask; to offer.
bide.to stay; abide.
biel' or bield.shelter; habitation.
bien.prosperous; comfortable.
big.to build.
bigget.built.
biggin.a building; a house.
bike or byke.a wild bee's nest.
bill.a bull.
billie.fellow; comrade.
billies.male companions; lively young fellows.
bing. Corn-bing.a heap. Heap of grain.
birdie.diminutive of bird.
birk.the birch.
birken.birchen.
birkie.a plucky little fellow.
birks.collection of birch trees.
birr.vigour; forceful flow.
birrin.whirring like partridges when they rise.
birsies.bristles.
birth.berth.
bit.place; nick of time; small.
bitch-fou.very drunk.
bizz.bustle; to buzz.
bizzard.the buzzard.
bizzie.busy.
black-bonnet.the elder.
blae.blue; livid.
blastet or blastit.blasted; worthless.
blastie.a shrivelled wicked dwarf.
blate.bashful; sheepish.
blather.a bladder; a windy fellow.
blatherie.idle talk; flattery.
blaud.to slap or bang.
blauding.pelting; banging.
blaw.to boast; to blow.
blawn.blown.
blear't or blearit.bedimmed with weeping.
bleer.to blear.
bleeze.blaze; flame.
bleezin.blazing; flaming.
blellum.a babbler; loud-voiced nonsense.
blether.to talk idly.
bleth'rin.talking idly.
blin'.blind.
blink.a moment; a glance; a smile.
blinkers.female oglers.
blinkin'.glancing; smiling roguishly.
blin't.blinded.
blirt and blearie.bleared by excess of weeping.
blithe or blythe.cheerful; happy.
blitter or blutter.the mire snipe.
blue-gowns. licensed beggars who were presented
with a blue gown or cloak with a badge
annually on the king's birthday.
bluid or blude.blood.
bluidy.bloody.
blume.bloom.
blunty.a stupid person.
blype.a large shred.
bobbit.bobbed; becked; danced.
beck.to vomit.
bocket.gushed; vomited.
boddle.a small coin, value two pennies Scots.
bodkin.pointed tool for making holes in cloth.
boggie.marshy; a small morass.
bogle.a hobgoblin.
bole.a hole in the wall.
bonie or bonnie.beautiful; sweet-looking.
boord.board.
boord-en'.board end; head of the table.
boortree.the shrub-elder.
boost.behoved; must needs.
boot or to boot.payment to the bargain.
bore.a small hole.
botch.an angry tumour.
bother.annoyance; to tease.
bouk.bulk; body.
bow-hough'd.bandy-legged.
bow-kail.cabbage.
bow't.bent; crooked.
brachens.ferns.
brackens.ferns.
brae.the slope of a small hill.
braid.broad.
braid-claith.broad cloth.
braid Scots.broad Scots.
braik.a set of harrows.
braindge.to plunge rashly forward.
braindg't.plunged.
brak'.broke; did break.
brankie.spruce; well attired.
branks.a bridle with wooden curbs.
brany.brandy.
brash.a brief illness; water-brash.
brats.small pieces; rags; children.
brattle.a short, rapid race.
braw.gallant; handsome; finely dressed.
brawly or brawlies.very well; finely.
brawny.of brawn and muscle; strong.
braws.fine clothes.
braxies.sheep with or dead of braxy.
braxy.flesh of sheep killed by disease.
brenstet or briestit.sprang up with forward motion.
breastie or briestie.diminutive of breast.
brecham or brechan.a horse collar.
bree.juice; liquid.
breeks.breeches.
breer or brier.briar.
brent.polished.
brent-bright.brightly polished.
brent-new.brand new.
brief.writ; writing.
brig.bridge.
brisket.the breast.
brither.brother.
brock.a badger.
brogue.a trick.
broo.brow; soup, liquid, juice.
broose.a race at country weddings.
brose.dish of oatmeal, hot water and salt.
browst.a brewing of ale.
browster-wives.ale-wives.
brugh.a burgh; a lunar halo.
brulzie.a broil; a quarrel.
brunstane.brimstone.
brunt.burnt.
budgets.tinkers' bags of tools.
buff.to bang.
bught.sheep-fold.
bughtin.herding sheep into the fold.
bughtin-time.time for herding sheep into
the fold at night.
buirdly.stout made; broad built.
bum.the buttocks; to hum.
bum-bees.humble bees.
bum-clock.the humming beetle.
bummin.making a humming noise.
bummle.to drone; a blunderer.
bunker.a seat; generally a seat in the window.
burdies.birdies.
bonnie burdies.beautiful maidens.
bure.did bear.
burn or burnie.a rivulet.
burnewin.(burn the wind) the black-smith.
burr-thistle.the spear thistle or thistle of Scotland.
busk.to dress neatly.
buskit.dressed with taste.
buss.a bush.
but.without; void of.
but and ben.kitchen and parlour.
by.past; beside.
by attour.aside and at a distance.
by himsel'.beside himself; distracted.
byke.a wild bee's nest.
by-past.past.
byre.a cow-house.


Top of the page

1997 Měcheil Rob Mac Phŕdruig.