Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SCORT'A-TO-RY, a. [L. scortator, from scortor.]

Pertaining to or consisting in lewdness.

SCOR'ZA, n. [Qu. It. scorza, bark; L. ex and cortex.]

In mineralogy, a variety of epidote. – Ure.

SCOT, n.¹ [Sax. sceat, a part, portion, angle or bay, a garment or vest, a towel, cloth or sheet; sceat, sceata, sceatt, money, tax, tribute, toll, price, gift; sceta, scyta, a sheet. This is the English shot, in the phrase, he paid his shot; and scot, in scot and lot. Ice. skot, D. shot, a wainscot, shot, scot; schoot, a sheet, a shoot, a shot, a sprig, a bolt, the lap, the womb; G. schoss, scot, a shoot, and schooss, lap, womb; Sw. skatt, tax, tribute, rent, Eng. scot; Dan. skot, skat, id.; skiöd, the lap, the bosom, the waist of a coat; ecot, shot, reckoning, It. scotto; Sp. escote, shot, reckoning, a tucker, or small piece of linen that shades a woman's breast, also the sloping of a garment; escota, a sheet, in seamen's language; Port. escota; escote, shot, club. This word coincides in elements with shade, scud, shoot, shed and sheet, all of which convey the sense of driving, or of separating, cutting off.]

In law and English history, a portion of money, assessed or paid; a customary tax or contribution laid on subjects according to their ability; also, a tax or custom paid for the use of a sherif or bailif. Hence our modern shot; as, to pay one's shot. Scot and lot, parish payments. When persons were taxed unequally, or according to their ability, they were said to pay scot and lot. – Encyc.

SCOT, n.² [Sax. scotta, scotte; W. ysgotiad, a woodsman, a Scot, from ysgawd, a shade; ysgodi; to shade, to shelter, Eng. shade – which see. This word signifies, according to the Welsh, an inhabitant of the woods, and from the same root probably as Scythian, Scythia.]

A native of Scotland or North Britain.

SCOT, or SCOTCH, v.t. [Arm. scoaz, the shoulder, whence scoazya, to shoulder up, to prop, to support; W. ysgwyz, a shoulder; ysgwyzaw, to shoulder, which is said to be from cwyz, a fall.]

To support, as a wheel, by placing some obstacle to prevent its rolling. Our wagoners and cartmen scot the wheels of their wagons and carts, when in ascending a hill they stop to give their team rest, or for other purpose. In Connecticut, have generally heard this word pronounced scot, in Massachusetts, scotch.

SCOT'AL, or SCOT'ALE, n. [scot and ale.]

In law, the keeping of an alehouse by the officer of a forest, and drawing people to spend their money for liquor, for fear of his displeasure.

SCOTCH, a.

Pertaining to Scotland or its inhabitants. [See Scotish.]

SCOTCH, n.

A slight cut or shallow incision. – Shak. Walton.

SCOTCH, v. [See SCOT, the verb.]

SCOTCH, v.t. [Qu. Arm. sqeigea, or Sax. sceadan. This can not be from Fr. ecorcher, to flay or peel; ecorce, bark.]

To cut with shallow incisions. [Obs.] – Shak.

SCOTCH'-COL-LOPS, or SCOTCH'ED-COL-LOPS, n.

Veal cut into small pieces.

SCOTCH'ED, pp.

1. Cut with shallow incisions.
2. Supported, as a wheel.

SCOTCH'-HOP-PER, n.

A play in which boys hop over scotches or lines in the ground. – Locke.

SCOTCH'ING, ppr.

1. Cutting with shallow incisions.
2. Supporting, as a wheel. [See the verb.]

SCO'TER, n.

The black diver or duck, a species of Anas.

SCOT'FREE, a.

1. Free from payment or scot; untaxed.
2. Unhurt; clear; safe.

SCO'TIA, n.

In architecture, a semicircular cavity or channel between the tores in the bases of columns.

SCOT'ISH, or SCOT'TISH, a.

Pertaining to the inhabitants of Scotland, or to their country or language; as, Scottish industry or economy; a Scottish chief; the Scottish dialect.

SCO'TIST, n. [from Duns Scotus, a Scotish cordelier.]

One of the followers of Scotus, a sect of school divines who maintained the immaculate conception of the Virgin, or that she was born without original sin; in opposition to the Thomists, or followers of Thomas Aquinas.

SCOT'O-GRAPH, n. [Gr. σκοτος, darkness, and γραφω, to write.]

An instrument for writing in the dark.

SCOT'O-MY, n. [Gr. σκοτωμα, vertigo, from σκοτοω, to darken.]

Dizziness or swimming of the head, with dimness of sight.

SCOT'TER-ING, n.

A provincial word in Herefordshire, England, denoting the burning of a wad of pease straw at the end of harvest. – Bailey. Johnson.

SCOT'TI-CISM, n.

An idiom or peculiar expression of the natives of Scotland. – Beattie.

SCOT'TISH, a. [See SCOTISH.]

SCOUN'DREL, a.

Low; base; mean; unprincipled.