▪ I. lopper, n.1
(ˈlɒpə(r))
[f. lop v.1 + -er1.]
One who lops (a tree).
| 1538 Elyot Dict., Frondator, a brouser, a wodlopper [1545 wode lopper]. 1552 Huloet, Lopper, or shragger, arborator, frondator. 1572 ― (ed. Higgins), Hence lopper on the hautie hill, shall sing with voyce on highe. 1613 Jackson Creed i. xxi. §1 A great oak..spoiled of boughs by the lopper's axe. 1755 in Johnson. 1883 Leisure Hour 505/1 Beeches unscathed by topper and lopper. |
▪ II. lopper, n.2
(ˈlɒpə(r))
Sc. and north. dial. in form lapper.
[f. lopper v.]
A curdled or coagulated state or condition (of blood or milk). Also, partly-melted snow, ‘slush’.
| c 1817 Hogg Tales & Sk. V. 345 The country became waist⁓deep of lapper or half-melted snow. 1880 Jamieson s.v. Lapper, The milk's into a lapper. 1895 Crockett Men of Moss Hags ii, The ground about was all a-lapper with blood. |
▪ III. lopper, a. Obs. exc. Sc.
(ˈlɒpə(r))
Also 4, 9 loper, 9 lapper.
[? f. lopper v.]
= loppered.
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 459 Whar he had na other fode Bot wlatsom glet, and loper blode. 1816 Scott Antiq. x, Lapper-milk. 1823 Crabb Technol. Dict., Lopper Milk (Husband.), old milk turned to curds. a 1894 J. Shaw Dumfr. Dial. in Wallace Country Schoolm. (1894) 350 Loper snow, snow in a state of slush. |
▪ IV. lopper, v. Now only Sc. and north. dial.
(ˈlɒpə(r))
Forms: 4 lopir, 5 leper, 9 lapper, lopper.
[Perh. a derivative (with suffix -er5) of ON. hlǫup (hlaup) coagulation (of milk or blood). Cf. ON. hl{obar}ypa trans. to curdle, Sw. löpe, Da. l{obar}be, Norw. dial. löper, löyper rennet. Cf. lop v.4.]
1. intr. Of milk: To curdle.
| a 1300 [see loppered]. a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxviii. 70 As mylk in þe kynd is fayre and clere, bot in lopirynge it waxis soure. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) vii. 27 Take a drope of bawme..and putte þerto gayte mylke; and, if þe balme be gude, alsone þe mylke sall leper. 1812 Forbes Poems 34 (E.D.D.) A muckle plate That ha'ds our milk to lapper. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Lopper, to turn sour and coagulate by too long standing. |
b. trans. To turn to curds; to curdle.
| 1882 G. Macdonald Castle Warlock 13 Drinkin' soor milk—eneuch to lapper a' i' the inside o' 'im! |
2. ‘To dabble, to besmear, or to cover so as to clot’ (Jam.).
| 1818 Scott Rob Roy xxx, Sic grewsome wishes, that men should be slaughtered like sheep—and that they may lapper their hands to the elbows in their heart's bluid. |